Parva 6

6.1.1 Janamejaya said: How did they wage war, those heroes — the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, and the Somakas — and the high-fortuned kings gathered from many lands?

6.1.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: How those heroes — the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, and the Somakas — waged war upon Kurukṣetra, that field of austerities, hear it now, O lord of the earth.

6.1.3 Descending upon Kurukṣetra, the Pāṇḍavas together with the Somakas, mighty in strength and eager for victory, advanced against the Kauravas.

6.1.4 All of them accomplished in Vedic study, all rejoicing in battle, they hoped for victory in the war, or else for death facing the foe in combat.

6.1.5 Having advanced against the unassailable army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, they encamped with their troops on the western side, their faces turned eastward.

6.1.6 Outside Samantapañcaka, Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Kuntī had encampments by the thousands raised according to due rule.

6.1.7 The whole earth seemed emptied, with only the young and the aged left behind; it was bereft of horses and of men, stripped of chariots and elephants.

6.1.8 As far as the sun shines upon the circle of Jambūdvīpa, over all that expanse was the host assembled, O best of kings.

6.1.9 Gathered in one place, men of every class, they overspread a circle many leagues across, covering regions, rivers, mountains, and forests.

6.1.10 To all of them, O bull among men, King Yudhiṣṭhira appointed, for them and their mounts, food and provisions of the finest kind.

6.1.11 And Yudhiṣṭhira devised for them watchwords of various kinds: 'He who gives this sign is to be known as one of the Pāṇḍavas.'

6.1.12 The Kaurava prince assigned to all of them tokens of recognition, signs, and emblems, now that the hour of battle had arrived.

6.1.13 Beholding the crests of the Pārthas' banners, the high-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with all the rulers of the earth, drew up his ranks against the Pāṇḍavas.

6.1.14 With a white parasol held above his head, surrounded by his brothers in the midst of a thousand elephants —

6.1.15 beholding Duryodhana so arrayed, all the Pāṇḍava warriors, exultant, blew their great conches and beat their war-drums by the thousands.

6.1.16 Then the Pāṇḍavas, looking upon their own exultant army, grew glad of heart, and so too did the valiant Vāsudeva.

6.1.17 Then, gladdening their warriors, Vāsudeva and Dhanaṃjaya, those two tigers among men, standing upon their chariot, blew their divine conches.

6.1.18 Hearing the blast of both the Pāñcajanya and the Devadatta, the warriors together with their mounts let flow their dung and urine.

6.1.19 As other beasts tremble at hearing the roar of a lion, even so was Dhṛtarāṣṭra's host stricken with fear in that hour.

6.1.20 A cloud of earthly dust arose, so that nothing could be discerned; and the sun was hidden, veiled by the dust raised by the army.

6.1.21 And there the cloud rained down a shower of flesh and blood, drenching all the ranks — a portent strange to behold.

6.1.22 Then a low wind arose, driving gravel before it, buffeting those ranks and scattering that dust about.

6.1.23 Both armies then, O king, exceedingly eager for battle, stood arrayed upon Kurukṣetra like two storm-tossed oceans.

6.1.24 And the meeting of those two armies was a wondrous thing, like the clash of two oceans when the end of an age is come.

6.1.25 The whole earth was emptied, with only the young and the aged left behind, by reason of that vast host gathered together by the Kauravas.

6.1.26 Then the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, and the Somakas made a covenant, and they established the rules of warfare, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.1.27 'When our war has ceased, let there be goodwill between us once more, as before and as is fitting, and let there be no further treachery.'

6.1.28 'When the fighting between us is waged with words, the answering also shall be only with words; one who has withdrawn from the midst of the host is on no account to be slain.'

6.1.29 'A chariot-warrior is to be fought by a chariot-warrior, one mounted on an elephant by an elephant, a horseman by a horseman, and a foot-soldier only by a foot-soldier, O Bhārata.'

6.1.30 'According to fitness, prowess, ardor, and age, one shall strike only after first giving challenge — never one who trusts unguarded, never one who is in distress.'

6.1.31 'One engaged with another, one off his guard, one turned away, one whose weapons are spent, one without armor — none of these is on any account to be slain.'

6.1.32 'Not against charioteers, not against draft-animals, not against those who carry weapons to the warriors, nor against those who sound the drums and conches, shall a blow ever be struck.'

6.1.33 Having made this covenant, the Kurus, the Pāṇḍavas, and the Somakas fell into utter wonder as they gazed upon one another.

6.1.34 And having taken up their stations, those great-souled bulls among men became, with all their troops, of joyful aspect and of good cheer.

6.2.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then, observing the twilights of dawn and dusk, the holy sage, foremost of all the knowers of the Vedas, Vyāsa the son of Satyavatī —

6.2.2 the holy grandsire of the Bhāratas, who saw with his own eyes what should come to pass in the dreadful war, knower of past, present, and future —

6.2.3 to King Vaicitravīrya, grieving, afflicted, brooding then upon the folly of his sons, he spoke this in secret.

6.2.4 Vyāsa said: O king, your sons and the other rulers of the earth have run out their allotted time; meeting one another in battle, they will slay each other.

6.2.5 As they, whose time is spent, go to their ruin, O Bhārata, understand the turning of time, and do not set your mind to grief.

6.2.6 Yet if you wish to behold this battle, O lord of the people, then look — I grant you sight; witness this war.

6.2.7 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: I have no wish to look upon the slaughter of my kinsmen, O best of brahmin sages; yet by your power may I hear this war in its entirety.

6.2.8 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When he wished not to see the battle but desired to hear of it, the lord and bestower of boons granted a boon to Saṃjaya.

6.2.9 Vyāsa said: This Saṃjaya of yours, O king, shall tell you of this war; nothing in the battle shall be hidden from his sight.

6.2.10 Endowed with a divine eye, O king, this Saṃjaya will recount the war to you, and he shall become all-knowing.

6.2.11 Whether open or secret, whether by night or by day, even what is conceived in the mind — all of it Saṃjaya will know.

6.2.12 Weapons shall not pierce him, nor shall weariness afflict him; this son of Gavalgaṇa shall come forth alive from this war.

6.2.13 And I shall spread abroad the fame of these Kurus, O bull of the Bhāratas, and of all the Pāṇḍavas; grieve not.

6.2.14 This was ordained of old; here you have no cause to grieve, nor can it be held back: where there is righteousness, there is victory.

6.2.15 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus, the holy great-grandsire of the Kurus addressed the mighty-armed Dhṛtarāṣṭra once again.

6.2.16 In this war, O great king, there shall be a vast destruction, even as I now mark these omens that portend terror.

6.2.17 Hawks and vultures, crows and herons, gathered together with the armies, swoop down at the forest's edge and form their flocks.

6.2.18 And the birds, rejoicing, foresee a most terrible battle; the flesh-eaters shall devour the flesh of elephants and horses.

6.2.19 Shrieking 'khaṭā, khaṭā' in dread, harbingers of fear, the cranes pass through the midst of the sky toward the southern quarter.

6.2.20 At both twilights, of dawn and of dusk, I behold without fail, O Bhārata, the sun at its rising and its setting ringed about with headless trunks.

6.2.21 Bordered with white and red, dark-necked, and charged with lightning, three-colored bars of cloud screen the sun at twilight.

6.2.22 A day and a night I have beheld in which sun, moon, and stars all blazed alike, with no distinction between day and dark: this shall be for destruction.

6.2.23 On the full-moon night of Kārttika the moon was unseen, robbed of its radiance, the color of fire against a sky of one same hue.

6.2.24 Heroes shall sleep slain, kings covering the earth, sovereigns and princes, brave men whose arms are like iron bars.

6.2.25 In the sky, by night, I mark without ceasing the fierce clamor of a boar and a cat warring together.

6.2.26 The images of the gods, too, tremble and laugh, vomit blood from their mouths, sweat, and fall down.

6.2.27 War-drums sound though none has struck them, O lord of the people, and the great chariots of the warriors roll forth though none has yoked them.

6.2.28 Cuckoos and woodpeckers, blue jays and vultures, parrots, cranes, and peacocks utter dreadful cries.

6.2.29 At the reddening of dawn there appear by the hundreds swarms of locusts, as it were warriors bearing weapons and ornaments, armored and mounted upon horses' backs.

6.2.30 Both twilights blaze forth, attended by a burning of the quarters of the sky; and there fell a rain of blood and a rain of bones, O Bhārata.

6.2.31 And she who is renowned throughout the three worlds, esteemed by the virtuous, Arundhatī — even by her has Vasiṣṭha been set behind.

6.2.32 Yonder stands Śanaiścara, O king, afflicting Rohiṇī; the mark upon the moon is turned awry: a great terror shall come to pass.

6.2.33 And from a cloudless sky a most dreadful thundering is heard without cease, and from the weeping draft-animals teardrops fall.

6.3.1 Vyāsa said: Asses are born of cows, and sons take pleasure with their mothers; the trees in the forest put forth flower and fruit out of their season.

6.3.2 Princesses heavy with child bring forth monstrous things — flesh-eating creatures and birds, jackals and beasts of other kinds.

6.3.3 Ill-omened beasts are born, three-horned, four-eyed, five-footed, with two organs, two heads, two tails, and fanged.

6.3.4 They are born with gaping mouths, uttering inauspicious cries — three-footed, crested, eagle-like, four-fanged, and horned.

6.3.5 And likewise are seen other women, even those of the reciters of the Veda, bringing forth eagles and peacocks within your city.

6.3.6 A mare gives birth to a calf, O lord of the earth, and a bitch to a jackal; partridges, mynahs, and parrots cry out words of ill omen.

6.3.7 Some women bring forth four or five daughters at a birth, and these, the very moment they are born, dance and sing and laugh.

6.3.8 The little ones of common folk, still at the breast, dance and sing aloud within the houses of thieves, foretelling a great terror.

6.3.9 Others, driven by fate, scrawl figures of armed men; and infants, cudgels in hand, rush at one another, and, eager to fight, fashion mock cities and lay siege to them.

6.3.10 Lotuses, blue lilies, and water-lilies spring up upon the trees; fierce winds blow from every side, and the dust never settles.

6.3.11 Again and again the earth quakes, and Rāhu has seized the sun; and a white planet, passing beyond Citrā, stands fixed.

6.3.12 Most especially does it foretell the undoing of the Kurus, this comet of dreadful aspect, that has mounted Puṣya and there stands still.

6.3.13 A great planet shall work fearful ill upon both armies: Aṅgāraka stands retrograde in Maghā, and Bṛhaspati in Śravaṇa.

6.3.14 Encroaching upon the lunar mansion Bhāgya, Śukra is afflicted by the son of Sūrya; having mounted into the eastern Proṣṭhapada, O lord of peoples, and then circled round into the northern, he stands waiting in conjunction.

6.3.15 A dark planet, blazing, wreathed in smoke and fire, has encroached upon the brilliant mansion of Indra, Jyeṣṭhā, and there it stands.

6.3.16 The Pole Star, blazing dreadfully, turns from right to left; and a harsh planet has taken its station between Citrā and Svāti.

6.3.17 Moving in retrograde and counter-retrograde course, bright as fire upon Śravaṇa, the Red-bodied one (Mars) has overspread the constellation of Brahmā and there abides.

6.3.18 The earth, mantled with every kind of grain and garlanded with fruit, brings forth barley with five heads and rice with a hundred heads.

6.3.19 The cows, foremost of all the world, upon whom this whole creation depends — they, giving milk to their calves, ooze blood instead.

6.3.20 Swords, fiercely ablaze, leap forth from their scabbards; plainly the weapons foresee the battle now at hand.

6.3.21 The radiance of the weapons and of the waters is as the color of fire; there shall be a great destruction of armor and of banners.

6.3.22 Toward the quarters of the sky, beasts and birds with flaming mouths cry out, foretelling calamity and announcing a great terror.

6.3.23 A bird with but one wing, one eye, and one foot, ranging the sky by night, cries out fiercely in its rage, spewing forth blood again and again.

6.3.24 Two planets, copper-red of crest and seeming to blaze, stand there, having veiled over the splendor of the noble Seven Seers.

6.3.25 And both planets, abiding for a full year and both ablaze — Bṛhaspati and Śanaiścara (Jupiter and Saturn) — stand close beside the two stars of Viśākhā.

6.3.26 In Kṛttikā, the first of mansions, a fierce planet, blazing and stealing away forms with its glare, stands like a smoking comet.

6.3.27 Through all three of the earlier mansions, O lord of peoples, Budha (Mercury) repeatedly speeds, engendering exceedingly great fear.

6.3.28 A fourteenth-day moon, a fifteenth-day moon, and once even a sixteenth I have known; but this new moon falling on a thirteenth day I have never known before.

6.3.29 Both moon and sun eclipsed within a single month, on the thirteenth day and out of their proper season — these two seizures shall bring the peoples to ruin.

6.3.30 All the quarters are wrapped in dust, with showers of grit on every side; and dreadful portent-clouds rain down blood in the night.

6.3.31 Again, on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight, at midnight, there came a fierce and most terrible rain of flesh, whereat the rākṣasas glutted themselves unsated.

6.3.32 The rivers flowed backward against their stream, their waters turned to blood; the wells, foaming over, bellow like bulls; and meteors fall amid thunderclaps, mingled with dry lightning-bolts.

6.3.33 And this very day, when the night had passed, at sunrise the sun was struck on every side by four great blazing meteors.

6.3.34 And the great seers, as they paid worship to the Sun, declared therein: the earth shall drink the blood of thousands of kings.

6.3.35 From Kailāsa and Mandara, and from the mountain Himavat as well, peaks crash down by the thousand with a mighty roar.

6.3.36 In the quaking of the earth the great elemental beings make each of the four oceans, severally, heave up their shores, churning them again and again.

6.3.37 Fierce winds blow, uprooting trees and dragging gravel along; and the sacred shrine-trees topple down in villages and in cities.

6.3.38 The fire, when offered into by the brāhmaṇas, blazes up yellow, red, and blue, its flame veering leftward, smelling of corpses, thick with smoke and harsh of sound; and touch, smell, and taste are all turned awry, O lord of the earth.

6.3.39 The banners of the kings smoke and quiver again and again, and shed showers of live coals; and so too do the kettledrums and the war-drums.

6.3.40 Upon the tops of palace-spires and at the city gates fierce vultures wheel and settle, taking up a circling course to the left.

6.3.41 And the birds cry out shrilly, again and again, "Cooked! cooked!" and roost upon the banner-tips, portending the destruction of the rulers of the earth.

6.3.42 Brooding and shaking out their tails, trembling all over, the horses and the elephants, piteous, weep by the thousand.

6.3.43 Having heard all this, let your lordship resolve upon what the hour demands, so that this world may not go to utter ruin, O Bhārata.

6.3.44 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having heard these words of his father, Dhṛtarāṣṭra spoke thus: This, I think, was ordained long ago; it shall come to pass, there is no doubt.

6.3.45 If kṣatriyas are slain in battle according to the law of kṣatriyas, then, attaining the world of heroes, they shall win nothing but bliss.

6.3.46 These tigers among men, having yielded up their lives in the great battle, shall win renown here and, in the world beyond, great happiness for a long age.

6.4.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by his son Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the sage, lord of poets, O best of kings, knowing the truth of things, sank into deep meditation.

6.4.2 Then once more the great ascetic, the proclaimer of Time, spoke these words: Without doubt, O lord of kings, it is Time that draws the world together to its end.

6.4.3 And again Time brings forth the worlds; nothing here is everlasting — neither of your kinsmen, nor of the Kurus, nor of your allies and friends.

6.4.4 Point out the righteous path, for you are able to hold them back; men call the slaughter of one's own kin a base thing — do not do what is hateful to me.

6.4.5 This is Time, born in the shape of your son, O lord of peoples. In the Veda no slaughter is honored; this is in no wise a good.

6.4.6 He who would slay his own kindred slays the law of his line and his very own body. By the power of Time you are about to stray from the path, though, while it is yet possible, you might keep to the road.

6.4.7 For the destruction of this house, and likewise of the rulers of the earth, this calamity has come in the guise of kingship — let it be cast off, this bringer of misery.

6.4.8 By another your wisdom has been undone; show your sons the path of dharma. What use to you, O unassailable one, is a kingdom by which you have come to sin?

6.4.9 Guarding your honor, your dharma, and your renown, you shall win heaven. Let the Pāṇḍavas have the kingdom, and let the Kauravas come to peace.

6.4.10 As the foremost of brāhmaṇas spoke thus, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Ambikā, skilled in speech, broke in upon his words and went again into the way of discourse.

6.4.11 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Even as your lordship knows, so do I know; being and non-being are known to me as they truly are. Yet in its own concerns, dear sir, the world is bewildered — and know me too to be of one nature with the world.

6.4.12 I beseech you of matchless might: you are our refuge and our steadfast guide. But these of mine are not in my power, O great seer; you ought not to burden me here with the guilt.

6.4.13 For you are dharma itself, and purity, honor, renown, constancy, and memory; and you are the venerable grandsire of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas alike.

6.4.14 Vyāsa said: O king, son of Vicitravīrya, whatever stirs within your mind, speak it freely as you will; I shall cut away your doubt.

6.4.15 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Those signs which appear in battle for them that shall be victorious — all of these, O blessed one, I wish to hear of truly.

6.4.16 Vyāsa said: When the fire is clear of radiance, its beams rising upward, its flame whirling to the right and free of smoke, and holy fragrances waft from the oblations — this, they say, is the very mark of coming victory.

6.4.17 Where conches and drums, deep-voiced and loud-sounding, resound, and the sun and the moon shine with rays unsullied — this, they say, is the very mark of coming victory.

6.4.18 Auspicious are the cries of crows behind those who have set out and those about to go, O king: those behind urge them onward, while those in front would hold them back.

6.4.19 Where birds of fair-sounding voice — royal swans, parrots, herons, and woodpeckers — wheel to the right in the battle, there the brāhmaṇas declare victory is certain.

6.4.20 They whose host is radiant and hard to look upon for its splendor — with ornaments, armor, and standards, and with the golden-hued, serene faces of its men — they conquer their foes.

6.4.21 Where the voices and the spirit of the warriors are glad, O Bhārata, and their garlands do not wither, they overcome their enemies in battle.

6.4.22 A favorable wind from the south, for one who has entered or is about to enter the field, accomplishes his purpose when at his back, but thwarts it when in his face.

6.4.23 They for whom sound, form, taste, touch, and smell show themselves auspicious, and whose warriors are ever glad — for them victory is sure.

6.4.24 The winds blow in their favor, and so the clouds and the birds, and the storm-clouds float along behind them, and so too do the rainbows.

6.4.25 These, O lord of peoples, are the marks of them that are winning; for them that are about to die they are reversed, O ruler of men.

6.4.26 Whether the army be small or great, this is held for certain: the gladness of the host of warriors is, by itself, called a mark of victory.

6.4.27 A single man, broken in spirit, breaks even a very great army; and after that one broken man even the bravest warriors give way in turn.

6.4.28 And a great host once shattered is most hard to check, like the mighty rush of waters, like a herd of deer struck with panic.

6.4.29 In the clash of battle a great host, once broken, can in no way be set in order again; at the mere word "broken!" even the bravest warriors are broken, and at the sight of men frightened and routed the terror swells the more.

6.4.30 A great host suddenly shattered, O king, and driven scattering to the quarters by the foe, cannot be made to stand fast, not even by brave men.

6.4.31 Having gathered a great army of the four arms, let the wise king, ever vigilant, strive by means of good policy first of all.

6.4.32 Victory by stratagem they call the best, by sowing discord the middling; lowest is that victory which is won by battle, O lord of peoples. The pitched clash is a great evil, and therefore it is called the maimed kind of conquest.

6.4.33 Brave men who know one another well, full of spirit, resolute and steadfast — even fifty such churn up a mighty host; or even five, six, or seven, who will not turn back, win the day.

6.4.34 Garuḍa, son of Vinatā, does not esteem a great multitude, O Bhārata, even on beholding a vast gathering of fine-feathered birds.

6.4.35 Victory does not come by the mere multitude of an army, O Bhārata; victory, indeed, is a thing uncertain, and fate is here the final refuge; for even those who win in battle suffer their own losses.

6.5.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having spoken thus to the wise Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vyāsa departed; and Dhṛtarāṣṭra too, having heard it, sank into meditation.

6.5.2 Having brooded for the space of a moment, and sighing again and again, he questioned Saṃjaya of disciplined soul, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.5.3 Saṃjaya, these rulers of the earth, heroes who delight in battle, strike one another down with weapons high and low.

6.5.4 The kings, having flung away their very lives for the earth's sake, do not cease from the slaughter, swelling the realm of Yama.

6.5.5 Coveting earthly sovereignty, they cannot endure one another. The earth, I think, must hold many a virtue; tell me of it, Saṃjaya.

6.5.6 Many thousands, many myriads, hundreds of millions, and tens of millions of the world's heroes are gathered together in Kurujāṅgala.

6.5.7 And the measure of the lands and of the cities from which these have come together, Saṃjaya, I wish to hear of truly.

6.5.8 You are endowed with the lamp of divine understanding and with the eye of knowledge, by the grace of that brāhmaṇa-seer Vyāsa of measureless splendor.

6.5.9 Saṃjaya said: As far as my understanding reaches, O greatly wise one, I shall tell you of the earth's qualities; look on them with the eye of the scriptures. Homage to you, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.5.10 Beings here are of two kinds: the moving and the unmoving. Of the moving, the womb is threefold — those born of eggs, of sweat, and of the womb-membrane.

6.5.11 Of all moving beings, O king, the womb-born are the foremost; and of the womb-born, the highest are humankind and the beasts that there are.

6.5.12 Bearing manifold forms, of these there are fourteen divisions: seven that dwell in the wilderness and seven of them that dwell in villages.

6.5.13 Lions, tigers, and boars, buffaloes and elephants, and bears, and monkeys too—these seven, O king, are reckoned the creatures of the wild.

6.5.14 The cow, the goat, man, the ram, the horse, the mule, and the ass—these seven are declared by the good to be the domestic animals.

6.5.15 These, O king, are the fourteen animals, tame and wild, named in the Vedas, O guardian of the earth, upon which the sacrifices are established.

6.5.16 Among the domestic kinds man is foremost, and the lion among the dwellers of the wild; yet of all beings alike the living is by one upon another.

6.5.17 The immovable beings are said to be those that spring from the soil, and of them there are five kinds: trees, shrubs, creepers, climbing vines, the pithless-barked plants, and the grasses.

6.5.18 These come to nineteen, lacking one; with the five great elements they are reckoned twenty-four—the Gāyatrī, honored by the world.

6.5.19 He who truly knows this holy Gāyatrī, endowed with every quality, O best of the Bhāratas, does not perish from the worlds.

6.5.20 For upon the earth is everything born, and upon the earth does everything perish; the earth is the foundation of beings, the earth indeed is their last resort.

6.5.21 His who holds the earth is the whole world, all that moves and stands still; greedy for it, kings slay one another.

6.6.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: The names of the rivers and of the mountains, Saṃjaya, and of the peoples too, and of others that dwell upon the earth—

6.6.2 and the measure of the earth as well, O knower of measures, in its entirety—relate it all to me fully, Saṃjaya, and the forests too.

6.6.3 Saṃjaya said: These five great elements, O great king, in sum, the wise declare to be equal, by which all things in the world subsist.

6.6.4 Earth, water, and wind, fire, and ether as well—each surpassing the next in qualities; and among them earth is chief.

6.6.5 Sound, and touch, and form, and taste, and odor for the fifth—these are declared the qualities of earth by the seers who know the truth.

6.6.6 Four qualities are in water, O king—odor is not found therein; sound, and touch, and form; then fire has three qualities; sound and touch belong to wind; and in ether sound alone.

6.6.7 These five qualities, O king, abide in the five great elements throughout all the worlds, upon which the worlds are established.

6.6.8 They do not encroach upon one another when balance prevails; but when they fall into disproportion among themselves, then the embodied rise up clothed in bodies—not otherwise.

6.6.9 In due succession they perish, and in due succession are born—all of them beyond measure; such is their lordly form.

6.6.10 Here and there are seen the constituents born of the five elements; of these men by reasoning set forth the measures.

6.6.11 Those states that are beyond thought one should not establish by reasoning; and that which lies beyond the primal natures is the mark of the unthinkable.

6.6.12 I shall declare to you the continent Sudarśana, O delight of the Kurus; circular it is, O great king, that continent, shaped like a wheel.

6.6.13 Covered over with river-waters and with mountains like clouds, with cities of varied form and with pleasant peopled lands,

6.6.14 with trees laden with flower and fruit, abounding in wealth and grain, and girt about on every side by the salt sea.

6.6.15 And as a man might behold his own face in a mirror, so does the continent Sudarśana appear in the orb of the moon.

6.6.16 In two of its parts is the holy fig tree, and in two parts the great hare, with the sowing of all healing herbs swelling it on every side; and beyond that the waters are to be known—this is told in brief.

6.7.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: The continent has been told in brief; now tell its extent, Saṃjaya. As far as this expanse of earth appears within the figure marked by the hare, declare its measure, and then you shall speak of the fig tree.

6.7.2 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by the king, Saṃjaya spoke these words: Stretching eastward, O great king, are these six jeweled mountains, plunging on both sides into the eastern and the western seas.

6.7.3 Himavān and Hemakūṭa, and Niṣadha the foremost of mountains, and Nīla made of lapis, and Śveta with the gleam of silver, and the mountain named Śṛṅgavān, bound about with every metal.

6.7.4 These mountains, O king, are frequented by Siddhas and Cāraṇas; the span between them is many thousands of yojanas.

6.7.5 There are the holy peopled lands, those regions, O Bhārata; in them dwell living creatures of every kind and all manner of births.

6.7.6 This here is the region Bhārata; beyond it is Haimavata; and beyond Hemakūṭa they declare the region Harivarṣa.

6.7.7 To the south of Nīla and to the north of Niṣadha stretches eastward, O great king, the mountain named Mālyavān.

6.7.8 Beyond Mālyavān is the mountain Gandhamādana, and circular between the two stands Meru, the golden mountain.

6.7.9 With the radiance of the morning sun, like fire without smoke, it descends, it is said, sixteen thousand yojanas below.

6.7.10 And high it rises eighty-four thousand yojanas, O lord of the earth, standing above, within, and athwart, embracing the worlds.

6.7.11 At its sides these four continents are set, O lord: Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla, and Jambūdvīpa, O Bhārata, and the Northern Kurus, the refuge of those who have earned merit.

6.7.12 There the bird Sumukha, the son of Suparṇa it is said, fell to pondering when he beheld the crows turned golden:

6.7.13 "Since Meru makes no distinction among birds—the highest, the middling, and the lowest—therefore I shall forsake it."

6.7.14 Around it the sun, the lord of lights, ceaselessly circles, and the moon with its constellations, and the wind, keeping it ever on their right.

6.7.15 That mountain, O great king, is endowed with heavenly flowers and fruits, encompassed all about with fair mansions wrought of jāmbūnada gold.

6.7.16 There the hosts of gods, O king, the Gandharvas, Asuras, and Rākṣasas, together with throngs of Apsarases, sport upon that mountain everlastingly.

6.7.17 There Brahmā and Rudra and Śakra, the lord of the gods, assemble and worship with manifold sacrifices of abundant gifts.

6.7.18 Tumburu and Nārada, Viśvāvasu, Hāhā, and Hūhū, those foremost of immortals, draw near and praise them with hymns, O lord.

6.7.19 The seven great-souled seers, and Kaśyapa the lord of creatures, go there—good fortune be yours—ever at each holy juncture of the moon.

6.7.20 Upon its very summit dwells Uśanas, son of Kavi, with the Daityas, O lord of the earth; his are these jewels, his these jeweled mountains.

6.7.21 From him the lord Kubera enjoys a fourth part, and of that he gives a fraction of the wealth to men.

6.7.22 On its northern side is a heavenly grove of karṇikāra trees, blossoming in every season, auspicious and lovely, springing up amid a lattice of rocks.

6.7.23 There Paśupati himself, surrounded by his heavenly attendant spirits, the lord, the source of beings, sports with Umā at his side.

6.7.24 He wears a garland of karṇikāra flowers hanging down to his feet, alight with his three eyes as with three risen suns.

6.7.25 Him the Siddhas of fierce austerity, firm in their vows and speaking truth, behold; for by the ill-conducted Maheśvara cannot be seen.

6.7.26 From the summit of that mountain, O lord of men, a stream like milk, broad enough to be spanned by thirty arm-lengths, with a voice like a terrible thunderbolt,

6.7.27 holy, frequented by the holiest, the fair Gaṅgā Bhāgīrathī falls with unceasing rush into the fair lake of the moon; and by her was made that holy lake, vast as the ocean.

6.7.28 Her, unbearable even to the mountains, Maheśvara of old bore upon his head for a hundred thousand years.

6.7.29 On the western side of Meru is Ketumāla, O lord of the earth, and there too the great Jambū grove, like the garden Nandana.

6.7.30 The span of life there is ten thousand years, O Bhārata, and the men are golden-hued, and the women like Apsarases.

6.7.31 Free from sickness, freed from grief, ever glad of heart are the men born there, with the gleam of refined gold.

6.7.32 On the peaks of Gandhamādana, Kubera with the Rākṣasas, surrounded by throngs of Apsarases, rejoices, the lord of the Guhyakas.

6.7.33 At the farther foothills of Gandhamādana, the outlying tracts beyond, the utmost span of life is eleven thousand years.

6.7.34 There the men are dark, O king, full of vigor and mighty in strength, and the women all are hued like lotus-petals, fair to look upon.

6.7.35 Beyond Nīla is Śveta, and beyond Śveta the Hairaṇyaka land; the region named Airāvata is beyond that, past Śṛṅgavān.

6.7.36 Bow-shaped, O great king, are the two regions, southern and northern; and Ilāvṛta is the middle one—so there are five regions in all.

6.7.37 Each farther region beyond these surpasses in excellences: in length of life and health, in righteousness, in pleasure, and in wealth,

6.7.38 endowed are the beings in those regions, O Bhārata. Thus, O great king, is this earth heaped about with mountains.

6.7.39 And Hemakūṭa, vast indeed, is the mountain named Kailāsa, where King Vaiśravaṇa rejoices together with the Guhyakas.

6.7.40 To the north of Kailāsa, near the mountain Maināka, stands the great heavenly mountain Hiraṇyaśṛṅga, made of jewels.

6.7.41 At its side is the great, heavenly, fair lake of golden sands, the lovely lake named Bindusaras, where King Bhagīratha, beholding the Gaṅgā Bhāgīrathī, dwelt for many years.

6.7.42 There are sacrificial posts of jewels and altars too of gold; and having sacrificed there, the thousand-eyed one of great renown attained perfection.

6.7.43 There the eternal lord of beings, of keen splendor, having created all the worlds, is worshipped, surrounded by the assembled spirits—Nara and Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā, Manu, and Sthāṇu for the fifth.

6.7.44 There the goddess of the threefold path first took her stand; descending from the world of Brahmā, she divides into seven streams:

6.7.45 Vasvokasārā, Nalinī, and Pāvanā, and Sarasvatī, and Jambūnadī, and Sītā, and Gaṅgā, and Sindhu for the seventh.

6.7.46 Unthinkable, of heavenly resolve—such is the ordinance of the Lord—where they perform the sacrificial session at the close of a thousand ages.

6.7.47 And here and there Sarasvatī becomes now seen, now unseen; these are the seven heavenly Gaṅgās, famed throughout the three worlds.

6.7.48 On Himavān dwell the Rākṣasas, on Hemakūṭa the Guhyakas, serpents and Nāgas on Niṣadha, and on Gokarṇa those rich in austerity.

6.7.49 The Śveta mountain is called the home of gods and Asuras; the Gandharvas on the Niṣadha mountain, the brahmā-seers on Nīla, O king; and Śṛṅgavān, O great king, is the haunt of the fathers.

6.7.50 Thus, O great king, these are the seven regions, portion by portion, wherein the beings have settled, both the moving and the fixed.

6.7.51 Their prosperity, manifold, is seen to be both divine and human, impossible to reckon up, yet to be believed by one who would prosper.

6.7.52 As for this heavenly hare-shape about which you ask me, O king—at the hare's sides are two regions, both south and north, and its two ears are Nāgadvīpa and Kaśyapadvīpa.

6.7.53 Its head is copper-hued, O king—the splendid Malaya mountain; this is seen as the second part of the continent, set in the form of a hare.

6.8.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Now describe to me, Saṃjaya, the northern and the eastern side of Meru, in full, O great of mind, and the mountain Mālyavān.

6.8.2 Saṃjaya said: To the south of Nīla and on the northern side of Meru, O king, are the holy Northern Kurus, frequented by the Siddhas.

6.8.3 There the trees bear honeyed fruit and are ever laden with blossom and fruit; their flowers are sweetly fragrant and their fruits are full of juice.

6.8.4 Some trees there yield the fruit of every desire, O lord of men; and others there, O ruler of men, are the trees called the milk-bearers.

6.8.5 These ever pour forth milk endowed with the six flavors and like to nectar; and within their fruits are brought forth garments and ornaments as well.

6.8.6 The whole earth there is made of jewels, with fine golden sand; everywhere it is pleasant to the touch and free of mire, O lord of men.

6.8.7 All the men born there have fallen from the world of the gods, endowed with equal beauty and equal virtues, in fair times and foul alike.

6.8.8 They are born as couples, and the women are like the apsarases; and they drink the milk of those milk-bearing trees, milk that is like nectar.

6.8.9 Each couple, being born together, grows up as equals, alike in beauty and virtue and likewise alike in garb; and each is devoted to the other, even as the cakravāka pair, O mighty one.

6.8.10 Free of sickness and bereft of sorrow, their minds ever joyful, they live, O great king, for ten thousand years and ten hundred years besides, and they never forsake one another.

6.8.11 There are birds named bhāruṇḍas, sharp-beaked and of great strength; these carry off the dead and cast them into mountain caverns.

6.8.12 The Northern Kurus, O king, have thus been described to you in brief; now I shall tell of the eastern flank of Meru in due order.

6.8.13 Its eastern domain is Bhadrāśva, O lord of peoples, where lies the forest of Bhadraśāla and the great tree called Kālāmra.

6.8.14 And the Kālāmra, O great king, is fair and ever laden with blossom and fruit, a tree a yojana in height, frequented by siddhas and cāraṇas.

6.8.15 The men there are fair, possessed of splendor and great strength; and the women are of the hue of the white lotus, lovely and pleasing to behold.

6.8.16 Bright as the moon, moon-hued, their faces like the full moon, their limbs cool as the moon, skilled in dance and song.

6.8.17 Their lifespan there is ten thousand years, O bull of the Bhāratas; nourished on the juice of the Kālāmra, they remain forever in their youth.

6.8.18 To the south of Nīla and to the north of Niṣadha stands the great and everlasting Jambū tree named Sudarśana.

6.8.19 Yielding the fruit of every desire, holy, frequented by siddhas and cāraṇas; from its name the eternal Jambūdvīpa is so called.

6.8.20 A thousand and a hundred yojanas, O bull of the Bhāratas, is the height of that king of trees, touching the heavens, O lord of men.

6.8.21 A thousand cubits, and fifteen hundred more, is the girth of that tree, whose fruits are of varied juices.

6.8.22 Falling upon the earth, those fruits make a mighty sound, and they release, O king, a juice that resembles silver.

6.8.23 The fruit-juice of that Jambū, becoming a river, O lord of men, circles Meru in reverence and flows on to the Northern Kurus.

6.8.24 The people there drink that juice with delight forever, O lord of men; and when that fruit-juice is drunk, old age does not afflict them.

6.8.25 There is the gold called Jāmbūnada, the adornment of the gods; and the men born there are of the hue of the youthful sun.

6.8.26 Likewise upon the peak of Mālyavān there blazes the bearer of oblations, the fire of time named Saṃvartaka, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.8.27 And on the eastern peak of Mālyavān lies the eastern boundary-rock; Mālyavān stands fifty thousand yojanas in extent.

6.8.28 The men born there shine like fine silver; all have fallen from the world of Brahmā, and all are expounders of the sacred word.

6.8.29 Performing austerities, they become men of upward-flowing seed; and for the protection of all beings they enter into the sun.

6.8.30 Sixty thousand of them, and sixty hundred besides, go before Aruṇa, surrounding the maker of day.

6.8.31 For sixty thousand years and sixty hundred years besides, scorched by the heat of the sun, they enter at last the orb of the moon.

6.9.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: The names of the regions and of the mountains, O Saṃjaya, tell me truly, and who dwell upon the mountains.

6.9.2 Saṃjaya said: To the south of Śveta and to the north of Nīla is the region named Ramaṇaka, and there men are born.

6.9.3 Endowed with pure lineage, all most fair to look upon, and given over to delight, are the men born there.

6.9.4 For ten thousand years and fifteen hundred years besides they live, O great king, their minds ever joyful.

6.9.5 To the south of Śṛṅgavān and to the north of Śveta is the region named Hairaṇvata, where flows the river Hairaṇvatī.

6.9.6 Followers of the yakṣas, O great king, wealthy and fair to behold, of great strength they ever are there, O king, with joyful minds.

6.9.7 Eleven thousand years, O lord of men, is the measure of their life, and fifteen hundred years besides they live.

6.9.8 The peaks of Śṛṅgavān are three, O lord of men: one there is made of jewels, and one is wondrously of gold.

6.9.9 And one is made of every gem, adorned with mansions; there dwells forever the self-luminous goddess Śāṇḍilī.

6.9.10 To the north of Śṛṅgavān, at the shore of the sea, O lord of men, is the region named Airāvata, beyond that very Śṛṅgavān.

6.9.11 There the sun does not scorch, nor do those men grow old; and the moon with its constellations is veiled, as though become a single radiance.

6.9.12 Lustrous as the lotus, lotus-hued, their eyes like lotus-petals, and fragrant as lotus-leaves are the men born there.

6.9.13 Unmoving, sweet of fragrance, taking no food, masters of their senses, all are fallen from the world of the gods and free of passion, O king.

6.9.14 Thirteen thousand years, O lord of men, is the measure of life that those men live, O best of the Bhāratas.

6.9.15 And to the north of the ocean of milk the lord Hari, Vaikuṇṭha, dwells upon a chariot wrought of gold.

6.9.16 That vehicle is eight-wheeled, yoked with elemental beings, swift as thought, fire-hued, of great speed, adorned with Jāmbūnada gold.

6.9.17 He is the lord of all beings and the all-pervading, O bull of the Bhāratas; he is contraction and expansion, the doer and the cause of doing.

6.9.18 Earth, water, and space, wind and fire, O king—he is the sacrifice of all beings, and the devourer of oblations is his mouth.

6.9.19 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Thus addressed by Saṃjaya, the great-minded king Dhṛtarāṣṭra fell to brooding upon his sons, O lord of men.

6.9.20 Having pondered, O great king, he spoke again these words: Without doubt, O son of a sūta, Time draws in the world and creates all anew; nothing here abides forever.

6.9.21 Nara and Nārāyaṇa, the all-knowing, the sustainer of all beings—him the gods call Vaikuṇṭha, and the Vedas call that lord Viṣṇu.

6.10.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: This land of Bhārata, where this host has gathered in its frenzy, where this son of mine, Duryodhana, is greedy beyond all measure—

6.10.2 Where the sons of Pāṇḍu too are covetous, and where my mind clings fast—of this tell me the truth, for you are skilled, O Saṃjaya.

6.10.3 Saṃjaya said: The Pāṇḍavas are not covetous of it—hear my words, O king; covetous of it are Duryodhana and also Śakuni, the son of Subala.

6.10.4 And other kṣatriyas besides, lords of many lands, who are covetous of the land of Bhārata and cannot endure one another.

6.10.5 Here I shall describe to you, O Bhārata, the land of Bhārata, dear to the god Indra and to Manu, son of Vivasvat,

6.10.6 and to Pṛthu, son of Vena, O king, and to the great-souled Ikṣvāku, to Yayāti and Ambarīṣa, to Māndhātṛ and Nahuṣa,

6.10.7 and likewise to Mucukunda, to Śibi son of Uśīnara, to Ṛṣabha and to Ila, and to the king Nṛga as well,

6.10.8 and to others, O great king, mighty kṣatriyas all—to every one of them, O king of kings, was the land of Bhārata dear, O Bhārata.

6.10.9 That land I shall declare to you as I have heard it, O subduer of foes; hear me as I speak, O king, what you ask of me.

6.10.10 Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Śuktimān, and Ṛkṣavān too, Vindhya and Pāriyātra—these seven are the principal mountains.

6.10.11 Near these, O king, are mountains by the thousand, well-known, massive, vast, with peaks of many hues.

6.10.12 And others beyond these, unknown, small, and inhabited by lowly folk; āryas and mlecchas, O Kaurava, and men mingled with both, O mighty one.

6.10.13 They drink of many rivers: the Gaṅgā, the Sindhu, the Sarasvatī, the Godāvarī and the Narmadā, and the great river Bāhudā,

6.10.14 the Śatadru and the Candrabhāgā, and the great river Yamunā, the Dṛṣadvatī and the Vipāśā, the Vipāpā and the Sthūlavālukā,

6.10.15 the river Vetravatī, and the stream Kṛṣṇaveṇā, the Irāvatī and the Vitastā, the Payoṣṇī and the Devikā too,

6.10.16 the Vedasmṛti, the Vetasinī, the Tridivā and the Iṣkumālinī, the Karīṣiṇī, the Citravahā, and the stream Citrasenā,

6.10.17 the Gomatī and the Dhūtapāpā, and the great river Vandanā, the Kauśikī, the Tridivā, the Kṛtyā, the Vicitrā, and the Lohatāriṇī,

6.10.18 the Rathasthā and the Śatakumbhā, and the Sarayū, O lord of men, the Carmaṇvatī, the Vetravatī, the Hastisomā, and the Diś as well,

6.10.19 the Śatāvarī and the Payoṣṇī, and beyond them the Bhaimarathī, the Kāverī and the Culukā, and the Vāpī and the Śatabalā too,

6.10.20 the Nicīrā and the Mahitā, and the Suprayogā, O ruler of men, the Pavitrā, the Kuṇḍalā, the Sindhu, the Vājinī, the Puramālinī,

6.10.21 the Pūrvābhirāmā and the Vīrā, the Bhīmā and the Oghavatī as well, the Palāśinī, the Pāpaharā, the Mahendra, and the Pippalāvatī,

6.10.22 the Pāriṣeṇā and the Asiknī, the Saralā and the Bhāramardinī, the Puruhī, the Pravarā, the Menā, the Moghā, and the Ghṛtavatī too,

6.10.23 the Dhūmatī and the Atikṛṣṇā, the Sūcī and the Chāvī, O Kaurava, the Sadānīrā and the Adhṛṣyā, and the great river Kuśadhārā,

6.10.24 the Śaśikāntā and the Śivā, and the Vīravatī as well, the Vāstu, the Suvāstu, the Gaurī, the Kampanā, and the Hiraṇvatī,

6.10.25 the Hiraṇvatī, the Citravatī, and the stream Citrasenā, the Rathacitrā, the Jyotirathā, the Viśvāmitra, and the Kapiñjalā,

6.10.26 the Upendrā and the Bahulā, the Kucarā, the Ambuvāhinī, the Vainandī, the Piñjalā, the Veṇṇā, and the great river Tuṅgaveṇā,

6.10.27 the Vidiśā and the Kṛṣṇaveṇṇā, and the Tāmrā and the Kapilā too, the Śalu, the Suvāmā, the Vedāśvā, and the great stream Harisrāvā,

6.10.28 the Śīghrā and the Picchilā, and the stream Bhāradvājī, the stream Kauśikī, the Śoṇā, the Bāhudā, and then the Candanā,

6.10.29 the Durgā and the Antaḥśilā, the Brahmamedhyā, the Bṛhadvatī, the Carakṣā and the Mahirohī, and likewise the Jambunadī too,

6.10.30 the Sunasā, the Tamasā, the Dāsī, the Trasā, another, the Vārāṇasī, the Loloddhṛtakarā, and the great river Pūrṇāśā.

6.10.31 The Mānavī and the Vṛṣabhā too, great rivers, O lord of men, the ever-wholesome Nirāmayā, the Vṛtyā, the Mandagā, and the slow-flowing Mandavāhinī.

6.10.32 The Brāhmaṇī and the great Gaurī, and the Durgā too, O Bhārata, the Citropalā, the Citrabarhā, the Mañju, and the Makaravāhinī.

6.10.33 The Mandākinī, the Vaitaraṇī, and the Kokā, a great river, the Śuktimatī, the Araṇyā, the Puṣpaveṇī, and the Utpalāvatī.

6.10.34 The Lohityā and the Karatoyā, and likewise the Vṛṣabhaṅginī, the Kumārī, the Ṛṣikulyā, and the Brahmakulyā too, O Bhārata.

6.10.35 The most holy Sarasvatīs and all the Gaṅgās, O honored one — all of them mothers of the world, and all of them of mighty power.

6.10.36 And rivers beyond reckoning besides, by the hundreds and the thousands. Thus, O king, have these streams been recounted, as memory serves.

6.10.37 Now learn from me, as I declare them, the peoples that come next. There are the Kurus and Pāñcālas, the Śālvas, the Mādreyas, and the Jāṅgalas.

6.10.38 The Śūrasenas and the Kaliṅgas, the Bodhas and the Maukas as well, the Matsyas, the Sukuṭyas, the Saubalyas, the Kuntalas, the Kāśis, and the Kosalas.

6.10.39 The Cedis, the Vatsas, and the Karūṣas, the Bhojas, the Sindhus, and the Pulindakas, the Uttamaujas, the Daśārṇas, and the Mekalas together with the Utkalas.

6.10.40 The Pāñcālas and the Kauśijas, the Ekapṛṣṭhas, the Yugaṃdharas, the Saudhas, the Madras, and the Bhujiṅgas, the Kāśis and the Aparakāśis.

6.10.41 The Jaṭharas and the Kukkuśas, and the Sudāśārṇas too, O Bhārata, the Kuntīs and the Avantis, and the Aparakuntis as well.

6.10.42 The Govindas, the Mandakas, the Ṣaṇḍas, the Vidarbhas, the Anūpavāsikas, the Aśmakas, the Pāṃsurāṣṭras, the Goparāṣṭras, and the Panītakas.

6.10.43 The Ādirāṣṭras and the Sukuṭṭas, and the Balirāṣṭra entire, the Vānarāsyas, the Pravāhas, the Vakras, the Vakrabhayas, and the Śakas.

6.10.44 The Videhas and the Māgadhas, the Suhmas and the Vijayas likewise, the Aṅgas, the Vaṅgas, the Kaliṅgas, and the Yakṛllomans as well.

6.10.45 The Mallas, the Sudeṣṇas, the Prāhūtas, and the Māhiṣas and Kārṣikas, the Vāhīkas, the Vāṭadhānas, the Ābhīras, and the Kālatoyakas.

6.10.46 The Aparāndhras and the Śūdras, the Pahlavas and the Carmakhaṇḍikas, the Aṭavīśabaras too, and the dwellers of the desert lands, O honored one.

6.10.47 The Upāvṛts, the Anupāvṛts, the Surāṣṭras, and the Kekayas likewise, the Kuṭṭas, the Aparāntas, the Dvaidheyas, the Kākṣas, and the Sāmudraniṣkuṭas.

6.10.48 And the Andhras in great number, O king, and the Antargiris likewise, the Bahirgiris, the Aṅgas, the Maladas, the Māgadhas, and the Mānavarjakas.

6.10.49 The Mahyuttaras, the Prāvṛṣeyas, and the Bhārgavas, O lord of men, the Puṇḍras, the Bhārgas, the Kirātas, the Sudoṣṇas, and the Pramudas likewise.

6.10.50 The Śakas, the Niṣādas, the Niṣadhas, and likewise the Ānartas and the Nairṛtas, the Dugūlas, the Pratimatsyas, the Kuśalas, and the Kunaṭas as well.

6.10.51 The Tīragrāhas, the Taratoyas, the Rājikas, the hosts of the Rasyakas, the Tilakas, the Pārasīkas, the Madhumantas, and the Prakutsakas.

6.10.52 The Kāśmīras, the Sindhus and Sauvīras, the Gāndhāras, and the Darśakas likewise, the Abhīsāras, the Kulūtas, the Śaivalas, and the Bāhlīkas as well.

6.10.53 The Darvīkas with the Kacas, the Darvas, the Vāṭadhānas, the Amarathas, the Uragas, the Bahuvādyas too, O Kaurava, the Sudāmans, and the Sumallikas.

6.10.54 The Vadhras and the Karīṣakas too, and the Kulindas of the foothills likewise, the Vanāyus, the Daśāpārśvas, the Romans, and the Kuśabindus.

6.10.55 The Kacchas and the Gopālakacchas, the Lāṅgalas, the Paravallakas, the Kirātas, the Barbaras, the Siddhas, the Videhas, and the Tāmraliṅgakas.

6.10.56 The Oṣṭras, the Puṇḍras, the Sairandhras as well, and the mountain peoples, O honored one. Now the other peoples, those of the south, O bull of the Bhāratas:

6.10.57 The Draviḍas, the Keralas, the Prācyas, the Bhūṣikas, the forest-dwellers, the Unnatyakas, the Māhiṣakas, the Vikalpas, and the Mūṣakas likewise.

6.10.58 The Karṇikas and the Kuntikas, the Saudbhidas, the Nalakālakas, the Kaukuṭṭakas as well, the Colas, the Koṅkaṇas, and the Mālavāṇakas.

6.10.59 The Samaṅgas and the Kopanas, the Kukuras, the Aṅgadas, O honored one, the Dhvajinīs, the Utsavasaṃketas, the Trigartas, and the Sarvasenas.

6.10.60 The Tryaṅgas, the Kekarakas, the Proṣṭhas, and the Parasaṃcarakas likewise, and the Vindhya tribes as well, the Pulindas together with the Kalkalas.

6.10.61 The Mālakas and the Mallakas, and the Aparavartakas as well, the Kulindas and the Kulakas, the Karaṇṭhas, and the Kurakas likewise.

6.10.62 The Mūṣakas and the Stanabālas, the Satiyas, the Pattipañjakas, the Ādidāyas, the Sirālas, the Stūbakas, and the Stanapas as well.

6.10.63 The Hṛṣīvidarbhas, the Kāntīkas, the Taṅgaṇas, the Parataṅgaṇas, and others, the barbarian peoples of the north, O best of the Bhāratas:

6.10.64 The Yavanas together with the Kāmbojas, savage barbarian tribes, the Kṣaddruhas, the Kuntalas, and the Hūṇas together with the Paratakas.

6.10.65 And likewise the Maradhas and the Cīnas, and the Daśamālikas as well, settlements of kṣatriyas, and families of vaiśyas and śūdras.

6.10.66 The Śūdras and Ābhīras, then the Daradas, the Kāśmīras together with their herds, the Khaśikas and the Tukhāras, the Pallavas, and the dwellers of the mountain caverns.

6.10.67 The Ātreyas with the Bharadvājas, and likewise the Stanayoṣikas, the Aupakas and the Kaliṅgas, and the tribes of the Kirātas.

6.10.68 The Tāmaras and the Haṃsamārgas, and likewise the Karabhañjakas. These lands have I named, O lord, only by way of brief mention.

6.10.69 And rightly tended, the earth yields, in measure of its quality and strength, the great fruit of the threefold aim of life, like a cow that gives milk, a cow that grants every wish.

6.10.70 For her the kings are greedy, brave men skilled in dharma and gain; coveting her richness, those swift and strong ones lay down their very lives in battle.

6.10.71 The earth is, beyond question, the refuge of the bodies of gods and men; and for her men prey upon one another, as dogs snatch at a piece of meat.

6.10.72 Kings, O best of the Bhāratas, long to enjoy the earth that bears all wealth; yet here no man's desires are ever satisfied.

6.10.73 Therefore, O king, the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas strive to seize the earth — by conciliation, by gift, by sowing discord, and by force.

6.10.74 Tended aright, the earth becomes father, mother, and son, sky and heaven to all living beings, O bull among men, looking upon them with a flawless eye.

6.11.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Of this land of Bhārata, and of Haimavata as well, O sūta, tell me the measure of the span of life, and its fruit, both fair and foul.

6.11.2 What is to come, what has passed, and what now is, O Saṃjaya — tell me of these at length, and of Harivarṣa as well.

6.11.3 Saṃjaya said: In the land of Bhārata there are four ages, O bull of the Bhāratas: the Kṛta, the Tretā, the Dvāpara, and the Puṣya, O increaser of the Kurus.

6.11.4 First comes the age called Kṛta, then the Tretā age, O lord; thereafter, with the shortening of the Dvāpara, the Puṣya sets in.

6.11.5 Four thousand years, O best of the Kurus, is the reckoned span of life in the Kṛta age, O best of kings.

6.11.6 Three thousand in the Tretā, O ruler of men, two thousand in the Dvāpara; but now it stands at a mere hundred.

6.11.7 In this Puṣya age there is no fixed measure of life at all, O bull of the Bhāratas: here some die yet in the womb, and some die as soon as they are born.

6.11.8 In the Kṛta age, O king, men were born of great strength, great courage, and endowed with every excellence of progeny — sages rich in the wealth of austerity.

6.11.9 Of great zeal, great-souled, righteous, and truthful in speech — so were men born in the Kṛta age, O king, wealthy and fair to look upon.

6.11.10 Long-lived, of great valor, foremost among bowmen in battle — so are the kṣatriyas born in the Tretā: heroes and universal emperors.

6.11.11 In the Dvāpara, O great king, men of all the orders are born, of great zeal and great might, yet bent upon the slaughter of one another.

6.11.12 Endowed with but little luster, prone to wrath, greedy and given to falsehood — such are the men born in the Puṣya age, O Bhārata.

6.11.13 Envy, pride, and wrath, deceit and spite as well, passion and greed — these arise among mortals in the Puṣya age, O Bhārata.

6.11.14 In this Dvāpara, O king, there is a dwindling, O ruler of men. Higher in excellence is Haimavata, and Harivarṣa higher still beyond that.

6.12.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: You have duly described to me the Jambū continent, O Saṃjaya. Now tell me of its breadth and its extent, truly and exactly.

6.12.2 And the measure of the ocean, O you of flawless sight; tell me too of the Śāka continent and the Kuśa continent, O Saṃjaya.

6.12.3 And truly of the Śālmala, and of the Krauñca continent as well; tell me all, O son of Gavalgaṇa, of Rāhu and of the Moon and the Sun.

6.12.4 Saṃjaya said: O king, many indeed are the continents by which this world is spread out; but I shall declare to you the seven, and the Moon and Sun and planets as well.

6.12.5 Eighteen thousand yojanas, O lord of peoples, and six hundred full besides — such is the breadth of the Jambū mountain region.

6.12.6 The breadth of the Salt Ocean is reckoned twice as great, strewn with diverse peoples and bright with gems and coral.

6.12.7 Adorned with mountains gleaming with manifold minerals, thronged by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, the ocean lies girdling all around.

6.12.8 I shall now describe the Śāka continent duly, O king. Hear me as I speak of it in proper order, O delight of the Kurus.

6.12.9 By the measure of the Jambū continent it is twice as great in breadth, O ruler of men, O great king; and so too is the Sea of Milk in due proportion, O best of the Bhāratas, by which it is encircled all about.

6.12.10 There the lands are holy, and there no man dies; how then could there be famine? For its people are endowed with patience and luster.

6.12.11 This, O bull of the Bhāratas, is a brief account of the Śāka continent, duly given, O great king. What else do you wish to hear?

6.12.12 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: You have duly given me a brief account of the Śāka continent, O Saṃjaya, O greatly blessed one. Now tell me of it in full and exactly.

6.12.13 Saṃjaya said: There too, O king, are seven mountains adorned with gems, and rivers that are mines of jewels — hear from me their names. All there is supremely rich in excellence and holy, O lord of men.

6.12.14 Frequented by gods, sages, and Gandharvas, the supreme one is called Meru; and stretching to the east, O great king, is the mountain named Malaya, from which the clouds arise and spread forth on every side.

6.12.15 Beyond that, O Kaurava, is the great mountain Jaladhāra, where Vāsava ever draws up the choicest waters, whence rain springs forth in the season of rains, O lord of men.

6.12.16 Lofty is the mountain Raivataka, where the constellation Revatī is ever fixed in the sky — so was it ordained by the Grandsire.

6.12.17 And to the north, O king of kings, is the great mountain named Śyāma, from which the people have come to be dark of hue, O lord of the realms.

6.12.18 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: A great doubt is mine this day at what you have said, O Saṃjaya. How, O son of the sūta, have the people there come to be dark of hue?

6.12.19 Saṃjaya said: In all the continents alike, O greatly wise one, O delight of the Kurus, there are two colors, fair and dark; and between the two, O king, lie all the other hues.

6.12.20 From what the darkness has arisen I shall tell you, O Bhārata: the blessed Kṛṣṇa abides there, and by his radiance the people have taken on a dusky hue.

6.12.21 Beyond that, O lord of the Kurus, is the mighty mountain Durgaśaila of great glory, the Kesarin clothed in fragrant blooms, from which the wind blows forth.

6.12.22 The breadth of these in yojanas is twice as great, region by region; and the lands within them, O Kaurava, have been declared by the wise.

6.12.23 Mahāmeru, Mahākāśa, Jalada, and Kumudottara, O king; and beyond Jaladhāra is the one remembered as Sukumāra.

6.12.24 For Raivata there is Kaumāra, for Śyāma there is Maṇīcaka, for Kesara there is Modākī, and beyond that the great Mahāpuruṣa.

6.12.25 Encircling it, O Kaurava, in its length and breadth, it is famed in proportion to Jambūdvīpa; and in its midst stands a great tree.

6.12.26 It is named Śāka, O great king, standing at the center of that island. There the lands are holy, and there Śaṃkara is worshipped.

6.12.27 There go the Siddhas, the Cāraṇas, and the gods; and righteous are the people there, O king, the four classes exceedingly so, O Bhārata.

6.12.28 The classes are devoted each to its own duty, and no thief is seen there; long-lived are they, O great king, free from old age and death.

6.12.29 The people there flourish like rivers flowing to the sea in the rains; the streams there are of holy water, and the Gaṅgā runs in many courses.

6.12.30 Sukumārī and Kumārī, Sītā and Kāverakā, the Mahānadī too, O Kaurava, and the river Maṇijalā, and Ikṣuvardhanikā as well, O best of the Bhāratas.

6.12.31 From there flow forth holy-watered rivers, O upholder of the Kuru line, hundreds upon thousands of them, wherever Vāsava sends his rain.

6.12.32 Their names and likewise their number cannot be reckoned in full, for they are holy, those finest of rivers.

6.12.33 There are four holy lands, esteemed by the world: the Magas and the Maśakas, the Mānasas and the Mandagas.

6.12.34 The Magas are mostly brāhmaṇas, devoted to their own duty, O king; among the Maśakas dwell kṣatriyas, righteous and granting every desire.

6.12.35 Among the Mānasas, O great king, are vaiśyas who live by their work, endowed with every wish, valiant, resolute in dharma and wealth; and in Mandaga ever dwell śūdras, men of righteous conduct.

6.12.36 There is no king there, O lord of kings, no rod of punishment nor those who wield it; by their own dharma alone they guard one another's righteousness.

6.12.37 This much only can be told of that island, and this much only is to be heard concerning the mighty Śākadvīpa.

6.13.1 Saṃjaya said: Of the islands to the north, O Kaurava, a tale is heard; as I have heard it, O great king, hear it now from me as I tell it.

6.13.2 Here is a sea whose waters are clarified butter, another whose waters are curds and whey, an ocean of wine, and yet another, a sea of warm water.

6.13.3 Each is double the last, O ruler of men, all the islands; and on every side, O great king, they are girded round by mountains.

6.13.4 In the middle island stands a great mountain, white, of realgar; and to the west a dark mountain, resembling Nārāyaṇa, O king.

6.13.5 There Keśava himself guards the divine jewels, and, attending upon Prajāpati, ordains the welfare of the creatures.

6.13.6 In Kuśadvīpa a clump of kuśa-grass, at the center of the land, is held in worship; and the śalmali tree on the island Śālmalika, O king.

6.13.7 In Krauñcadvīpa the great mountain Krauñca, a mine heaped with jewels, is worshipped ever, O great king, by all four classes.

6.13.8 There is the great mountain Gomanda, O king, rich in every mineral, where the glorious lotus-eyed Lord dwells forever, ever praised by those who seek release, the lord Nārāyaṇa Hari.

6.13.9 In Kuśadvīpa, O lord of kings, is a mountain studded with coral, named Sudhāman, hard to assail; and a second, the golden mountain.

6.13.10 Named Dyutimat, O Kaurava; third, the mountain Kumuda; fourth, the one named Puṣpavat; and fifth, Kuśeśaya.

6.13.11 Sixth is the one named Harigiri; these six are the foremost of mountains, and the span between them, region by region, is double each preceding.

6.13.12 The first region is Audbhida, the second Veṇumaṇḍala, the third indeed Rathākāra, and the fourth is remembered as Pālana.

6.13.13 Dhṛtimat is the fifth region, Prabhākara the sixth, and Kāpila the seventh region; these are the seven clusters of regions.

6.13.14 In these the gods, the gandharvas, and the people, O lord of the earth, roam and take their delight, and no one there dies.

6.13.15 In them there are no robbers, nor any of barbarian birth, O king; all the folk are fair of hue and delicate, O Pārtha.

6.13.16 Concerning the remaining regions I shall speak, O lord of men, as I have heard it, O great king; hear it with an untroubled mind.

6.13.17 In Krauñcadvīpa, O great king, is the great mountain named Krauñca; beyond Krauñca is Vāmanaka, and beyond Vāmana, Andhakāraka.

6.13.18 Beyond Andhakāra, O king, is Maināka, foremost of mountains; and beyond Maināka, O king, the lofty mountain Govinda.

6.13.19 And beyond Govinda, O king, is a mountain named Nibiḍa; the span of each is double the last, O increaser of your line.

6.13.20 I shall tell you the countries there; hear me as I declare them. The country of Krauñca is Kuśala, that of Vāmana is Manonuga.

6.13.21 Beyond Manonuga is the country Uṣṇa, O upholder of the Kuru line; beyond Uṣṇa is Prāvaraka, and beyond Prāvara, Andhakāraka.

6.13.22 Beyond the country of Andhakāraka is remembered the country of Muni; and beyond the country of Muni is named Dundubhisvana.

6.13.23 Thronged with Siddhas and Cāraṇas, its people mostly fair of hue, O lord of men; these countries, O great king, are frequented by gods and gandharvas.

6.13.24 In Puṣkara is a mountain named Puṣkara, rich in gems and jewels; there the god Prajāpati himself dwells forever.

6.13.25 Upon him all the gods, with the great seers, ever wait in attendance, honoring him with words that gladden the heart, O lord of men.

6.13.26 From Jambūdvīpa proceed jewels of many kinds, indeed, to all those islands, for the people, O joy of the Kurus.

6.13.27 Through the brāhmaṇas' chastity, their truth, and their self-restraint, in measure of health and length of life it is double and ever doubling thereafter.

6.13.28 There is but one community, O king, in all these islands, O Bhārata, the lands of which I have spoken, where a single dharma is seen.

6.13.29 The Lord himself, Prajāpati, raising the rod of rule, O great king, stands ever guarding these islands.

6.13.30 He is king, he is the auspicious one, O king; he is father, he is grandfather; he shelters, O best of men, the people, both the dull and the wise.

6.13.31 And here, O Kaurava, the people partake of food that comes to them of itself, already prepared, O great king, ever there.

6.13.32 Beyond that is seen a region of the world named Samā, four-cornered, O great king, with a circuit of thirty-three.

6.13.33 There stand, O Kaurava, four elephants of the quarters, esteemed by the world, O best of the Bhāratas, Vāmana, Airāvata, and the rest, and Supratīka too, O king, his cheeks and face streaming with rut.

6.13.34 Its measure I cannot venture to reckon here, for it is forever beyond counting, across, above, and below alike.

6.13.35 There indeed the winds blow from all the quarters, unobstructed, O great king, and those elephants take them in.

6.13.36 With their trunks, like lotuses, broad and of mighty splendor, they then slowly, yet swiftly again, release the winds without end.

6.13.37 Released by the breathing elephants of the quarters, the winds come hither, O great king, and thereby the creatures live on.

6.13.38 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: A vast expanse indeed have you recounted to excess, O Saṃjaya; you have shown the disposition of the islands. Now tell me what is beyond, O Saṃjaya.

6.13.39 Saṃjaya said: The islands have been told, O great king; now hear of the planets truly from me: Svarbhānu, O best of the Kauravas, how great he is in his might.

6.13.40 Round in shape, O great king, the planet Svarbhānu is said to be; its diameter is full twelve thousand yojanas.

6.13.41 In girth six and thirty thousand, and in breadth, O sinless one, the learned and the masters of the old lore declare it six thousand.

6.13.42 The moon, O king, is remembered as eleven thousand in diameter, O best of the Kurus, and thirty-three thousand in circuit, fifty-nine thousand in breadth, the great cool-rayed one.

6.13.43 The sun is ten thousand—eight thousand and two more, O joy of the Kurus—in diameter; and thence, O king, its circuit is a full thirty thousand.

6.13.44 Fifty-eight thousand, O king, in breadth, O sinless one, that most exalted soaring one of light is said to be; such is the measure of the sun declared here, O Bhārata.

6.13.45 That Rāhu, by reason of his greatness, eclipses these two in their season, the moon and the sun, O great king; this is the account told in brief.

6.13.46 Thus, O great king, to you who asked, all has been told according to the truth, with the eye of the scriptures; therefore attain to peace.

6.13.47 This world, with its goings-forth, I have told as I have seen it; therefore take comfort, O Kaurava, concerning your son Duryodhana.

6.13.48 Having heard this Section of the Earth, O best of the Bhāratas, pleasing to the mind, the prince becomes glorious, his purpose fulfilled, esteemed by the good; and his life, strength, valor, and splendor increase.

6.13.49 Whoever, O ruler of the earth, hears this on a parva-day, firm in his vows, his fathers are gladdened, and so too his forefathers.

6.13.50 But this region of Bhārata, wherein we dwell, holy from of old, now unfolds; all of it you have now heard.

6.14.1 Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the wise Saṃjaya, son of Gavalgaṇa, having come from the battle, an eyewitness of all, knower of past, present, and to come,

6.14.2 approaching in haste, grieving, declared to the brooding Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, the foremost among the Bhāratas, had been slain.

6.14.3 "I am Saṃjaya, O great king; homage to you, O bull of the Bhāratas. Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, the grandsire of the Bhāratas, is slain.

6.14.4 The crest of all warriors, the abode of all who bear the bow, that grandsire of the Kurus lies today upon a bed of arrows.

6.14.5 He upon whose valor relying your son made bold to play at dice—he, Bhīṣma, lies slain, O king, in the fray by Śikhaṇḍin.

6.14.6 He who, in a great battle at the city of Kāśi, vanquished all the rulers of the earth gathered together, with a single chariot, that mighty car-warrior—

6.14.7 he, born of the Vasus, who fought Rāma the son of Jamadagni in combat and was not slain by the son of Jamadagni, is today slain by Śikhaṇḍin.

6.14.8 Like great Indra in prowess, like Himavat in steadfastness, like the ocean in depth, in forbearance the equal of the earth—

6.14.9 his fangs his arrows, his mouth the bow, his tongue the sword, unassailable, that man-lion, your father, has today been struck down by the Pāñcāla prince.

6.14.10 The great host of the Pāṇḍavas, beholding him rise up in the battle, trembled, stricken with fear, as a herd of cattle at the sight of a lion.

6.14.11 For ten nights, guarding your army, that destroyer of hosts, having wrought a deed most hard to do, went down like the setting sun.

6.14.12 He who, unshakable as Śakra, raining arrows by the thousand, slew in battle a hundred million of the warriors in ten days—

6.14.13 he lies groaning upon the ground like a tree felled by the wind, through your evil counsel, O king, though he deserved no such fate, O Bhārata."

6.15.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How was Bhīṣma, the bull of the Kurus, slain by Śikhaṇḍin? How did he fall from his chariot, my father, the peer of Vāsava?

6.15.2 And how fared my sons, bereft of Bhīṣma, O Saṃjaya—of him so mighty, godlike, who for his elders' sake kept the vow of chastity?

6.15.3 When that great-souled one was slain — the mighty archer, vast in strength, the great chariot-warrior, the tiger among men — what then, tell me, was the temper of their minds?

6.15.4 A boundless anguish enters me, since you tell me he is slain — the bull of the Kurus, the unshakable hero, that bull among men.

6.15.5 Who followed after him as he advanced, and who went before him? Who held their ground, who turned back, and who pressed onward, Saṃjaya?

6.15.6 What heroes followed close behind that tiger among chariot-warriors, the unfaltering one, the bull among kṣatriyas, as he plunged headlong into the host of chariots?

6.15.7 He who, like the sun dispelling darkness, that slayer of foes scattered the enemy host — like one of a thousand rays — and struck terror into his adversaries, performing in battle a deed hard to do, at the command of the Kauravas.

6.15.8 As he was devouring whole armies, who hemmed him in close at hand — that accomplished and unassailable warrior, advancing straight upon them? How did the Pāṇḍavas hold back the son of Śaṃtanu in the fight?

6.15.9 He who hewed down the armies, swift, his fangs of arrows, his mouth gaping wide as a bow, terrible, his tongue a sword, unapproachable —

6.15.10 He who surpassed all other tigers among men, modest and unconquered — how did the son of Kuntī bring down that one who had never been vanquished in battle?

6.15.11 With his fierce bow and fierce shafts, standing upon his peerless chariot, harvesting the heads of his foes with whetted arrows —

6.15.12 He whom the great host of the Pāṇḍavas, beholding him rise up in the fray unassailable like the fire of doom, encircled again and again —

6.15.13 For ten nights that destroyer of armies harrowed my host, and then, like the sun, he set, having wrought a deed most hard to do.

6.15.14 He who, like Śakra, loosed an unfailing rain made of arrows, and in ten days slew a hundred million of the warriors in battle —

6.15.15 He now lies groaning upon the earth like a tree shattered by the wind — that descendant of Bharata, who deserved no such fate, brought low by my evil counsel.

6.15.16 How was the army of the Pāṇḍavas able, beholding the son of Śaṃtanu there, to strike at Bhīṣma of terrible prowess?

6.15.17 How did the sons of Pāṇḍu wage war against Bhīṣma, and how did Bhīṣma fail to conquer while Droṇa yet lived, Saṃjaya?

6.15.18 With Kṛpa close at hand there, and the son of Bharadvāja as well, how did Bhīṣma, the best of those who strike, come to his death?

6.15.19 And how was that supreme chariot-warrior Bhīṣma — hard for even the gods to withstand — slain in battle by the Pāñcāla, Śikhaṇḍin?

6.15.20 He who in battle ever rivaled the mighty son of Jamadagni, unvanquished by that son of Jamadagni, his valor the equal of Śakra's —

6.15.21 Tell me, Saṃjaya, of that hero Bhīṣma, slain in the fight, worthy of the strength of the greatest chariot-warriors — he without whom we know no refuge.

6.15.22 Which of my mighty archers did not abandon that unfaltering one, Saṃjaya? Which heroes, charged by Duryodhana, encircled him to guard him?

6.15.23 When all the Pāṇḍavas, with Śikhaṇḍin at their head, advanced upon Bhīṣma, did the Kurus not, in their fear, abandon that unfaltering one, Saṃjaya?

6.15.24 With the twang of his bowstring for thunder, his arrows for a dappling of raindrops, the great roar of his bow for its mighty voice — towering like a vast storm-cloud —

6.15.25 As he rained down upon the sons of Kuntī with the Pāñcālas and the Sṛñjayas, that hero smiting the enemy chariots like the wielder of the thunderbolt smiting the Dānavas —

6.15.26 A dreadful ocean of arrows and missiles, with shafts for its sea-monsters, unapproachable, its waves the bows, inexhaustible, in battle without an isle and without a raft, its whirlpools the maces and swords, its crocodiles the horses, its waters thronged with elephants —

6.15.27 He who swiftly drowned horses, elephants, foot-soldiers, and chariots in throngs upon the field, that carrier-off of the enemy's heroes —

6.15.28 That scorcher of foes, blazing with wrath and with splendor — what heroes encircled him as a shore holds back the home of sea-monsters?

6.15.29 When Bhīṣma, that slayer of foes, did his deed in battle for Duryodhana's sake, Saṃjaya — who were they that stood before him then?

6.15.30 Who guarded the right wheel of Bhīṣma of measureless splendor? What heroes, steadfast in their vows, held off the foe from behind?

6.15.31 Who took their station in front, guarding Bhīṣma close at hand? What heroes guarded the left wheel of the hero as he fought?

6.15.32 Stationed at the left wheel, who slew the Sṛñjayas, Saṃjaya? Who, gathered at the forefront of the ranks, guarded that unassailable one?

6.15.33 Who pressed forward at his flanks, following a path hard to tread? Amid the throng, who did battle against the heroes of the foe, Saṃjaya?

6.15.34 If he was guarded by heroes, and they in turn were sheltered by him, how did the armies of those hard to conquer not swiftly prevail in the fight?

6.15.35 As though against the lord of all worlds, the supreme Prajāpati — how were the Pāṇḍavas even able to strike at him, Saṃjaya?

6.15.36 The island upon which the Kurus relied as they fought their foes — that tiger among men, Bhīṣma, now sunk beneath the waters, you tell me is fallen, Saṃjaya.

6.15.37 In whose valor my son, mighty in strength, set his trust and reckoned the Pāṇḍavas as nothing — how was he slain by the foe?

6.15.38 He who long ago, frenzied for war, was sought as an ally by the gods with Indra at their head when they smote the Dānavas — my father, great in his vow —

6.15.39 At whose birth Śaṃtanu, in that son of mighty valor, blessing to the world and his father's pride, cast off sorrow, grief, and despair —

6.15.40 That refuge of wisdom, knower of it, devoted to the true law, pure, versed in the truth of the Vedas and their auxiliaries — how do you tell me he is slain?

6.15.41 Endowed with the discipline of every weapon, self-controlled, serene, high-minded — hearing that the son of Śaṃtanu is slain, I deem the rest of my army slain as well.

6.15.42 Unrighteousness has grown stronger than righteousness — such is my judgment — where the Pāṇḍavas, having slain their aged elder, still desire the kingdom.

6.15.43 Long ago Rāma, son of Jamadagni, knower of every weapon, unsurpassed, took up arms in the cause of Ambā and in the battle was vanquished by Bhīṣma.

6.15.44 That Bhīṣma, whose deeds were the equal of Indra's, the crest of all bowmen — you tell me he is slain. What grief can be greater than this?

6.15.45 He by whom hosts of kṣatriyas were again and again overcome in battle, and Rāma, son of Jamadagni, too — that slayer of the enemy's heroes —

6.15.46 Surely, then, in splendor, valor, and strength, Śikhaṇḍin the son of Drupada was greater than that mighty descendant of Bhṛgu, frenzied for war.

6.15.47 He who slew that hero — valiant, accomplished in war, skilled in every science, master of the supreme weapons, that bull of the Bhāratas —

6.15.48 What heroes followed that slayer of foes into the assembly of the enemy? Tell me how it came to pass — the battle of Bhīṣma with the Pāṇḍavas.

6.15.49 My son's army is like a woman whose hero is slain, Saṃjaya; that host of mine is like a herd of cattle scattered in panic, without a herdsman.

6.15.50 He whose manhood in the great battle surpassed that of all the world — when he was struck down, what then was the temper of your minds?

6.15.51 What strength is there in us even to live this day, Saṃjaya, having caused the death of that father of mighty valor, righteous before all the world?

6.15.52 Like men seeking the farther shore who see their boat foundering in fathomless water, my sons, I think, grieve sorely now that Bhīṣma is slain.

6.15.53 Surely my heart is made of the very substance of mountains, exceedingly hard, that, hearing the tiger among men, Bhīṣma, is slain, it does not burst asunder.

6.15.54 In whom — that bull of the Bhāratas, unassailable — weaponry, wisdom, and statecraft were beyond all measure: how was he slain in battle?

6.15.55 Not by weapon, not by valor, not by austerity nor by wisdom, not by steadfastness, nor again by renunciation — by none of these is any creature delivered from death.

6.15.56 Surely Time is of mighty power, not to be overpassed by all the worlds, since you tell me that the son of Śaṃtanu, Bhīṣma, is slain, Saṃjaya.

6.15.57 Consumed by grief for my sons, brooding on this great sorrow — once I had hoped for protection from Bhīṣma, the joy of Śaṃtanu.

6.15.58 When Duryodhana saw the son of Śaṃtanu fallen to the earth like the sun, Saṃjaya — what did he do then?

6.15.59 Pondering with my mind, Saṃjaya, over my own and over the foe, I see nothing whatever remaining among the kings ranged against us.

6.15.60 Cruel is this duty of the kṣatriya, set forth by the seers, wherein the Pāṇḍavas, having slain the son of Śaṃtanu, still desire the kingdom.

6.15.61 Or it is we who desire the kingdom, having caused the grandsire's death; standing fast in the kṣatriya's duty, the sons of Pṛthā commit no wrong, my sons.

6.15.62 This is what a noble man must do in dire calamities, Saṃjaya: to strive valiantly with all his power — and in him that valor was firmly set.

6.15.63 As he was destroying the armies, modest and unconquered — how, dear one, did the sons of Pāṇḍu bring down the son of Śaṃtanu?

6.15.64 How were the armies arrayed, how did the great-souled ones do battle, and how was Bhīṣma, my father, slain by the foe, Saṃjaya?

6.15.65 And Duryodhana, and Karṇa, and Śakuni the son of Subala, and the cheat Duḥśāsana — when Bhīṣma was slain, what did they say?

6.15.66 That assembly strewn with the bodies of men, elephants, and horses, with arrows, spears, maces, swords, and javelins for its dice, dreadful to behold —

6.15.67 The foolish gamblers entered that hall of battle, hard to enter — in that fearful game played for life itself, which bulls among men cast the dice?

6.15.68 Who won there and who were defeated, their stakes lost, struck down — besides Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.15.69 There is no peace for me here; hearing that Devavrata, my father of terrible deeds, has been slain in battle, sorrow has entered into me.

6.15.70 The great anguish rooted in my heart, brought on by my sons — you inflame it as one pouring clarified butter inflames a fire, Saṃjaya.

6.15.71 Beholding Bhīṣma slain — who had taken up that great burden, renowned throughout all the worlds — my sons, I think, now grieve.

6.15.72 I shall hear all those sorrows wrought by Duryodhana; therefore tell me everything that came to pass there, Saṃjaya.

6.15.73 In the battle of the lords of the earth, whatever sprang from the folly of that dullard, whether ill-counselled or well-counselled — tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.15.74 What was done there by Bhīṣma in the battle as he sought victory — full of splendor, accomplished in arms — tell me that too, leaving nothing out.

6.15.75 How that battle of the armies of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas came to be — in what sequence, at what time, what happened and in what manner — tell it all.

6.16.1 Saṃjaya said: This question is worthy of you, great king, as befits you; yet you ought not to lay this blame upon Duryodhana.

6.16.2 The man who through his own ill conduct meets with misfortune ought not to lay the guilt of that sin upon another.

6.16.3 Great king, the man who commits among men every blameworthy deed deserves to be slain by all the world, doing as he does what is condemned.

6.16.4 Insult was endured by the Pāṇḍavas, deep in cunning, out of deference to you, together with their counsellors; and long indeed did they bear it patiently in the forest.

6.16.5 What I have seen with my own eyes of the horses, the elephants, and the heroes of measureless might, and what I have seen by the power of yoga —

6.16.6 Hear it, protector of the earth, and set not your mind on grief; this was surely ordained of old to come to pass thus, lord of men.

6.16.7 Having made obeisance to your father, the wise son of Parāśara, by whose grace I have obtained the divine and unsurpassed knowledge —

6.16.8 And by his grace, O king, I have gained sight that transcends the senses, hearing across great distances, knowledge of others' thoughts, and awareness of things past and yet to come.

6.16.9 Knowledge of births that have arisen out of due course, the power to move ever through the sky, and immunity from weapons in battle — all this from the boon of that great-souled one.

6.16.10 Hear from me, then, in full this wondrous tale, most marvelous and hair-raising — how the great war of the Bhāratas came to pass.

6.16.11 When those armies had been drawn up in array according to rule, Duryodhana, O great king, then spoke to Duḥśāsana.

6.16.12 "Duḥśāsana, let the chariots that guard Bhīṣma be yoked at once, and urge on all the divisions with all speed.

6.16.13 This clash of the Pāṇḍavas with their hosts and of the Kurus, brooded upon through many long years, has at last come upon me.

6.16.14 I deem no task in battle more urgent than the guarding of Bhīṣma; for, well protected, he will slay the Pārthas, the Somakas, and the Sṛñjayas with them.

6.16.15 And he of pure heart has said, 'I will not slay Śikhaṇḍin; for it is told that he was once a woman, and so he must be spared by me in battle.'

6.16.16 Therefore Bhīṣma must be guarded with especial care — such is my judgment; let all my men stand ready, bent on the slaying of Śikhaṇḍin.

6.16.17 Let the warriors of the East and the West, of the South and of the Northern road, skilled in every weapon and missile, guard the grandsire.

6.16.18 For unguarded, even a wolf may slay a lion of mighty strength; let us not have our lion slain by Śikhaṇḍin as though by a mere jackal.

6.16.19 Yudhāmanyu guards Phalguna's left wheel and Uttamaujas his right — these two are Phalguna's protectors, and Phalguna himself protects Śikhaṇḍin.

6.16.20 So act, Duḥśāsana, that Śikhaṇḍin — guarded by Pārtha and shunned by Bhīṣma — may not be able to slay the son of Gaṅgā."

6.16.21 Then, when the night had passed into dawn, a great clamor arose from the kings crying out, "Yoke them! Yoke them!"

6.16.22 With the blare of conches and kettledrums, with lion-roars, O Bhārata, with the neighing of horses and the rumble of chariot wheels,

6.16.23 with the trumpeting of elephants and the roaring of warriors, with shouts and the slapping of arms and battle cries — a tumult rose up on every side.

6.16.24 At sunrise, O great king, the whole vast host of the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies arose, fully arrayed without exception — the forces of your sons, O lord of kings, and of the Pāṇḍavas alike.

6.16.25 There the elephants and chariots, adorned with gold, were seen gleaming like clouds shot through with lightning.

6.16.26 The masses of chariots looked like cities beyond number; and there your father shone exceedingly, like the full moon.

6.16.27 With bows, spears, and swords, with maces, lances, and javelins, with gleaming weapons of war, the warriors stood firm each in his own division.

6.16.28 Elephants, chariots, foot soldiers, and horses, O lord of peoples, stood ranged like an outspread net, in their hundreds and their thousands.

6.16.29 Banners of many fashions were seen raised aloft, radiant by the thousand, both of one's own side and of the foe.

6.16.30 Golden, their staffs bright with gems, blazing like fires, the flaming banners of the kings shone forth by the thousand.

6.16.31 Bright as the banners of great Indra raised in great Indra's halls; and among them those armored heroes, longing for battle, were beheld.

6.16.32 With weapons raised, splendid, their hand-guards bound, their quivers slung, those bull-eyed lords of men shone forth at the head of their hosts.

6.16.33 Śakuni the son of Subala, Śalya, the Sindhu king Jayadratha, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja,

6.16.34 Śrutāyudha the Kaliṅga, the king Jayatsena, Bṛhadbala of Kosala, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas —

6.16.35 these ten tigers among men, heroes with arms like iron bars, commanders of full divisions, performers of sacrifices with abundant gifts,

6.16.36 these and many other kings and princes, wise in statecraft and of great might, followed in Duryodhana's command.

6.16.37 Armored, they were seen each stationed in his own division, all wearing black antelope skins and bearing banners, girt with garlands of muñja grass —

6.16.38 consecrated, as it were, for Duryodhana's cause and dedicated to the world of Brahmā; ten flourishing divisions stood drawn up and ready.

6.16.39 The eleventh, the great host of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, the mighty Kaurava army, stood before all the troops, with the son of Śaṃtanu at its head.

6.16.40 White-turbaned, with white horses and white armor, unshaken, we beheld Bhīṣma, O great king, like the risen moon.

6.16.41 The Kurus and Pāṇḍavas saw Bhīṣma, his banner a golden palm, standing in his silver chariot like the keen-rayed sun amid a white cloud.

6.16.42 Beholding Bhīṣma at the head of the host, the Pāṇḍavas trembled, and the mighty bowmen of the Sṛñjayas with Dhṛṣṭadyumna at their head.

6.16.43 As small beasts shrink before a great lion yawning wide, so all those led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna shuddered again and again.

6.16.44 These eleven divisions of yours, O Bhārata, were graced with splendor, while the Pāṇḍavas' seven were guarded by mighty men.

6.16.45 The two hosts looked like two oceans met together at the end of an age — their whirlpools maddened, teeming with great sea-monsters.

6.16.46 Never before, O king, had we seen or heard of such a gathering of assembled armies as this.

6.17.1 Saṃjaya said: Even as the blessed Vyāsa, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, had foretold, so did all the lords of earth come together, gathered as one.

6.17.2 On that day the moon stood in the mansion of Maghā, and the seven great planets, blazing, came together in the sky.

6.17.3 At its rising the sun seemed cleft in two, and the radiant orb, risen in the heavens, blazed again with a flaming crest.

6.17.4 And toward the blazing quarter jackals and crows cried out, hungering for the bodies, eaters of flesh and blood.

6.17.5 Day after day the aged Kuru grandsire and the son of Bharadvāja, rising at dawn with controlled minds, would say of the Pārthas —

6.17.6 "Let there be victory to the sons of Pāṇḍu" — thus those two tamers of foes spoke, yet fought for your cause, as the compact had been made.

6.17.7 Your father Devavrata, knowing all the niceties of dharma, gathered the kings together and spoke these words:

6.17.8 "O warriors, here is the great gate to heaven, flung open for you; pass through it to dwell in the world of Śakra and of Brahmā.

6.17.9 This is the eternal path trodden by your forefathers and those before them; honor yourselves in battle with minds undismayed.

6.17.10 For Nābhāga and Yayāti, Māndhātṛ, Nahuṣa, and Nṛga, made perfect by deeds such as these, attained the highest abode.

6.17.11 It is unrighteousness for a warrior to meet death by sickness in his home; but to fall in battle is his eternal dharma."

6.17.12 Thus addressed by Bhīṣma, O bull of the Bhāratas, the kings marched forth, gracing their own divisions with their splendid chariots.

6.17.13 But that Karṇa, son of the Sun, with his counselors and kinsmen, was made by Bhīṣma to lay down his weapons in the battle, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.17.14 Then your sons and the kings on your side, now without Karṇa, marched forth, making the ten quarters resound with their lion-roars.

6.17.15 With white parasols and pennons, with banners, elephants, and horses, with chariots and foot soldiers, those divisions shone in splendor.

6.17.16 With the sound of drums and tabors and the din of war-drums, and with the rumble of chariot wheels, the earth was set atremble.

6.17.17 With golden armlets and bracelets and with their bows, the great chariot-warriors were seen gleaming like moving mountains.

6.17.18 Bhīṣma, the lord of the Kuru host, bearing as his standard a great palm-tree with five stars, stood there like the spotless sun.

6.17.19 Those mighty bowmen, the kings of your side, O bull of the Bhāratas, moved according to the command of the son of Śaṃtanu, O king.

6.17.20 And the Śaibya king Govāsana, with all his royal allies, advanced upon a kingly, pennoned lordly elephant; lotus-hued, he stood at the very front of all the divisions.

6.17.21 Aśvatthāman marched out, intent, his banner bearing a lion's tail; and Śrutāyu, Citrasena, Purumitra, and Viviṃśati,

6.17.22 Śalya, Bhūriśravas, and Vikarṇa the great chariot-warrior — these seven mighty bowmen, led by Droṇa's son, with their chariots of splendid hue, formed Bhīṣma's vanguard.

6.17.23 Their banners too, lofty and wrought of gold, gracing those splendid chariots, were seen shining bright.

6.17.24 A golden altar adorned with a water-pot, together with a bow, was the standard of Droṇa, foremost of teachers.

6.17.25 Drawing along a host of many hundreds of thousands, Duryodhana's great standard was an elephant fashioned of jewels.

6.17.26 Before him stood, in their chariots, Paurava and the Kaliṅga king, Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja, Kṣemadhanvan, and Sumitrā.

6.17.27 And the king of Magadha marched forth in a costly chariot, his standard a bull, as though drawing the army's van after him.

6.17.28 Guarded by the lord of the Aṅgas and by the great-souled Kṛpa, the host of the easterners looked like a mass of autumn clouds.

6.17.29 Standing at the head of his division, the illustrious Jayadratha shone with his foremost standard, a silver boar.

6.17.30 A hundred thousand chariots obeyed his command, eight thousand elephants, and sixty thousand horsemen.

6.17.31 That vanguard of the army, guarded by the lord of the Sindhus, O king — a great force with chariots, elephants, and horses past counting — shone in splendor.

6.17.32 With sixty thousand chariots and ten thousand elephants, the lord of all the Kaliṅgas marched forth, together with Ketumat.

6.17.33 His great elephants, like mountains, shone forth, adorned with engines, lances, and quivers, and with pennons.

6.17.34 The Kaliṅga king shone with his foremost standard of a tree, with his white parasol, his golden ornament, and his yak-tail fan.

6.17.35 Ketumat too, mounted in battle upon an elephant with a wondrously fine goad, O king, was like the sun set within a cloud.

6.17.36 Blazing with splendor, mounted upon a noble elephant, King Bhagadatta marched forth like the wielder of the thunderbolt.

6.17.37 Riding upon the shoulders of elephants, the equals of Bhagadatta, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti followed in Ketumat's train.

6.17.38 That formation, rich in chariot-troops, with elephant-bodies and a noble head, with cavalry for wings, descended fierce and struck out, facing every way.

6.17.39 It was ordered, O king, by Droṇa and by the royal son of Śaṃtanu, and likewise by the teacher's son, by Bāhlika, and by Kṛpa.

6.18.1 Saṃjaya said: Then in a moment, O great king, a tumultuous, heart-shaking din was heard from the warriors eager to fight.

6.18.2 With the blare of conches and kettledrums, with the trumpeting of elephants, and with the rumble of chariot wheels, the earth itself seemed to split apart.

6.18.3 From the neighing of the horses and the roaring of the warriors there, in an instant the sky and all the quarters were filled with the din.

6.18.4 O unassailable king, the armies of your sons and of the Pāṇḍavas alike trembled as they came together against one another.

6.18.5 There the elephants and the chariots, adorned with gold, were seen gleaming like clouds shot through with lightning.

6.18.6 The banners of your men, O lord of men, fashioned in manifold shapes and ringed with golden armlets, shone like blazing fires.

6.18.7 Among your own and among the foe alike, O Bhārata, the great standards of Indra appeared, gleaming white as in the halls of mighty Indra himself.

6.18.8 Girt in golden corselets bright as fire and the sun, the heroes appeared like blazing planets.

6.18.9 With raised and gleaming weapons, leather-guards bound to their hands, bearing pennons, bull-eyed and mighty archers, they shone at the front of the host.

6.18.10 As guardians of Bhīṣma's rear, O lord of men, stood your sons—Duḥśāsana, Durviṣaha, Durmukha, and Duḥsaha as well,

6.18.11 Viviṃśati, Citrasena, and Vikarṇa the great chariot-warrior, Satyavrata, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhūriśravas, and Śala.

6.18.12 Twenty thousand chariots followed in their train—the Abhīṣāhas, the Śūrasenas, the Śibis, and the Vasātis,

6.18.13 the Śālvas, the Matsyas, the Ambaṣṭhas, the Trigartas and the Kekayas, the Sauvīras, the Kitavas, and the men of the East, the West, the North, and the Mālavas.

6.18.14 These twelve peoples, all heroes ready to lay down their lives, guarded the grandsire with a great array of chariots.

6.18.15 A division of ten thousand swift elephants, led by the king of Magadha, followed behind that array of chariots.

6.18.16 As wheel-guards for the chariots and foot-guards for the tuskers, there were in the midst of the host six myriads of hundreds.

6.18.17 In front marched the foot-soldiers, bearing bows, shields, and swords—many hundreds of thousands, fighting with claw-spears and javelins.

6.18.18 Eleven akṣauhiṇīs of your son, O Bhārata, were seen, great king, like the Gaṅgā within the bounds of the Yamunā.

6.19.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Beholding the eleven akṣauhiṇīs arrayed, how did Yudhiṣṭhira the Pāṇḍava draw up his counter-array with so small a force?

6.19.2 He who knows the human battle-array and the divine, the gandharva and the demonic—how did that son of Kuntī, the Pāṇḍava, array his forces against Bhīṣma?

6.19.3 Saṃjaya said: Beholding the divisions of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son drawn up in array, the righteous-souled Pāṇḍava, the king of justice, spoke thus to Dhanaṃjaya:

6.19.4 By the word of the great seer Bṛhaspati, my dear, they teach this: let a small force fight close-massed, but let a large one spread out at will.

6.19.5 For the few against the many the array should be needle-pointed; and our army is far smaller than the enemy's.

6.19.6 "Heeding this word of the great seer, draw up the array, O Pāṇḍava." Hearing this from the king of justice, Phalguna replied:

6.19.7 "This array I shall set in order for you, O king—an array most hard to conquer, the unshakable one called Vajra, ordained by the wielder of the thunderbolt.

6.19.8 He who, like a rising wind, is unbearable to the foe in battle—Bhīma, best of strikers—shall fight in our van.

6.19.9 Crushing the splendor of the enemy's hosts, that best of men, skilled in the arts of war, shall go before us as our foremost leader.

6.19.10 At the sight of whom all the kings led by Duryodhana will turn back in panic, as small beasts before a lion.

6.19.11 Him we shall all take as our fearless rampart—Bhīma, best of strikers—as the immortals take refuge in the wielder of the thunderbolt.

6.19.12 For there is no man in the world who could bear even to look upon Vṛkodara enraged, that bull among men of most terrible deeds.

6.19.13 Bhīmasena, bearing his firm mace forged with the strength of the thunderbolt, ranging on with mighty speed, could dry up even the ocean."

6.19.14 "The Kekayas, Dhṛṣṭaketu, and the valiant Cekitāna—these stand by with their counselors as your onlookers, O lord of men,

6.19.15 as heirs against Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons," said Bībhatsu. And as Pārtha spoke thus, O honored one, all the troops honored him then in the battle with words of approval.

6.19.16 Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed Dhanaṃjaya did so; and having swiftly arrayed those forces, Phalguna then advanced.

6.19.17 Beholding the Kurus set in motion, the great host of the Pāṇḍavas appeared like the Gaṅgā in flood—still yet flowing on.

6.19.18 Their foremost were Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata, Nakula and Sahadeva, and the valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu.

6.19.19 Then, marshaling them, the king too, encircled by an akṣauhiṇī, together with his brothers and sons, guarded the rear behind.

6.19.20 As wheel-guards of Bhīma stood the two sons of Mādrī of great luster, while the swift sons of Draupadī together with Subhadrā's son guarded his rear.

6.19.21 And Dhṛṣṭadyumna of Pāñcāla, that great chariot-warrior, was their protector, joined by the heroes of the host, the foremost charioteers, the Prabhadrakas.

6.19.22 Behind him came Śikhaṇḍin, guarded by Arjuna and bent upon the destruction of Bhīṣma, advancing on, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.19.23 As Arjuna's rear-guard rode Yuyudhāna, the great chariot-warrior, and his wheel-guards were the two Pāñcālas, Yudhāmanyu and Uttamaujas.

6.19.24 The king Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, stood in the central division, with huge rutting elephants that moved like moving mountains.

6.19.25 And the high-minded Yajñasena of Pāñcāla, with an akṣauhiṇī, valorous in the Pāṇḍavas' cause, followed Virāṭa from behind.

6.19.26 Their great banners, bright as sun and moon, adorned with finest gold and bearing diverse emblems, O king, stood upon the chariots.

6.19.27 Then, moving up from behind, Dhṛṣṭadyumna the great chariot-warrior, together with his brothers and sons, guarded Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.19.28 Surpassing the manifold banners upon the chariots of your men and of the foe, Arjuna's single standard, the great ape, stood high above all.

6.19.29 In front marched the foot-soldiers, bearing swords, spears, and lances—many hundreds of thousands, the protectors of Bhīmasena.

6.19.30 Ten thousand elephants, their cheeks and faces flowing with rut, gleaming in nets of gold, blazed like mountains.

6.19.31 Like raining clouds, wet with rut and fragrant as lotuses, they followed the king from behind like moving mountains.

6.19.32 Bhīmasena, brandishing his fearsome mace that resembled an iron bar, the high-minded and unassailable one, drew on that mighty host.

6.19.33 Him, hard to look upon as the burning, ray-wreathed sun, the warriors on every side could not bear to gaze upon at close quarters.

6.19.34 This was the array named Vajra, hard to break, facing every way—terrible, its banners flashing like lightning over the bow, guarded by the wielder of Gāṇḍīva.

6.19.35 Having arrayed it against your host, the Pāṇḍavas stood firm—an array unconquerable in the world of men, guarded by the Pāṇḍavas.

6.19.36 As the armies stood at the twilight hour, toward the rising of the sun a wind blew, scattering droplets, thundering though no cloud was there.

6.19.37 Fierce winds blew from every side, sweeping up grit low along the ground, and the dust that was raised veiled the world in darkness.

6.19.38 A great meteor fell, facing eastward, O bull of the Bhāratas, and striking the rising sun, it burst asunder with a mighty roar.

6.19.39 Then, as the armies were being made ready, O bull of the Bhāratas, the sun rose dim, and with a great noise the earth shook and split asunder with a roar, O best of the Bhāratas.

6.19.40 Many thunderclaps broke out in all the quarters, O king, and a thick dust arose so that nothing at all could be discerned.

6.19.41 With the sudden tossing by the wind of the banners, hung with networks of little bells and wreathed in gold, and with their jangling,

6.19.42 those great pennoned standards, splendid as the sun, set everything ringing with their clang, as in groves of fan-palms.

6.19.43 Thus those tigers among men, the Pāṇḍavas, exulting in battle, stood arrayed against your son's host.

6.19.44 The very marrow of the warriors seemed to melt away, O bull of the Bhāratas, at the sight of Bhīmasena stationed in front, mace in hand.

6.20.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: At sunrise, Saṃjaya, which were the first, eager to fight and seeming to rejoice—my men led by Bhīṣma upon the field, or the Pāṇḍavas led by Bhīma at that hour?

6.20.2 To whose rear were moon, sun, and wind? At whose army did the beasts of prey howl? Whose young men's faces were serene? Tell me all this truly, as it was.

6.20.3 Saṃjaya said: Both armies advanced as if matched, O lord of men; both arrays wore an exultant aspect; both were splendid, gleaming like rows of forest, and both were filled with elephants, chariots, and horses.

6.20.4 Both armies were vast and fearsome in form, O Bhārata, and both alike unbearable; both were marshaled for the winning of heaven, and both were guarded by good and noble men.

6.20.5 The Kurus, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, stood facing westward; the Pārthas, ready to fight, faced east. The host of the Kauravas was like the army of the lord of the Daityas, and the host of the Pāṇḍavas like the army of the lord of the gods.

6.20.6 A clear wind was at the back of the Pāṇḍavas; at the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra the beasts of prey howled. The pungent rut-scent of the lordly elephants your son's elephants could not endure.

6.20.7 Duryodhana, mounted on a lotus-hued elephant, girt with golden girths, of noble strength and flowing with rut, stood in the midst of the Kurus, extolled by bards and panegyrists.

6.20.8 His white parasol shone with the radiance of the moon, and a golden wreath gleamed upon his head; on every side Śakuni, king of Gāndhāra, guarded him with his hillmen and Gāndhāras.

6.20.9 At the head of the whole army stood the aged Bhīṣma, with white parasol, white bow, and conch, white-turbaned, with a pale banner and white horses, gleaming like a mountain of white.

6.20.10 His army comprised all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, one portion of the Bāhlīkas and Śala, the Ambaṣṭha warriors and the Kṣatriyas dwelling by the Sindhu, and the valiant Sauvīras and men of the Five Rivers.

6.20.11 With his blood-red horses and golden chariot, the great-souled, mighty-armed Droṇa of undaunted spirit—the teacher, renowned among all kings—stood guarding the host from the rear like Indra.

6.20.12 In the midst of the whole army stood the son of Vṛddhakṣatra, with Bhūriśravas, Purumitra, and Jaya; and the Śālvas, Matsyas, and all the Kekaya brothers stood ready to fight with their elephant-divisions.

6.20.13 The great-souled son of Śaradvat, the mighty archer of Gautama's line, skilled in varied modes of war, held the northern flank and guarded the host from the north with Śakas, Kirātas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas.

6.20.14 With the great chariot-warriors of the Andhakas, Vṛṣṇis, and Bhojas, with the Saurāṣṭrakas and Nairṛtas, weapons in hand, Kṛtavarman of mighty strength, well-guarded, protected your force from the south.

6.20.15 A myriad chariots of the saṃśaptakas, sworn either to die or to conquer Arjuna, were sent forth; and wherever Arjuna was, there, O king, those weapon-skilled and valiant Trigartas advanced.

6.20.16 A hundred thousand elephants and more were yours, O Bhārata; for every elephant a hundred chariots, and for every chariot a hundred horses,

6.20.17 for every horse ten bowmen, and for every bowman ten shield-bearers: thus were the divisions arrayed by Bhīṣma for you, O Bhārata.

6.20.18 Day after day as it came, Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu and foremost of leaders, set up the array—now human, now divine, now gandharva, now demonic.

6.20.19 Vast with its flood of great chariot-warriors, like the sea at the turn of the moon, the array of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, set up by Bhīṣma, faced westward in the battle.

6.20.20 Boundless in form was your banner-host, O lord of men, and fearsome—yet not so the Pāṇḍavas'. Still, theirs I deem the mighty and unassailable one, whose leaders are Keśava and Arjuna.

6.21.1 Saṃjaya said: Beholding the vast army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons drawn up for battle, King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, was overcome with dejection.

6.21.2 Seeing the impenetrable battle-array marshalled by Bhīṣma, and perceiving it to be as if unbreakable, the son of Pāṇḍu, downcast, spoke to Arjuna.

6.21.3 O Dhanaṃjaya, mighty-armed one, how shall we be able to fight in battle against the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, whose champion is the grandsire himself?

6.21.4 This array, unshakable and impenetrable, has been formed by Bhīṣma, scourge of foes, of abundant splendour, according to the method ordained in the science of war.

6.21.5 We, with our troops, are plunged into doubt, O scourge of foes. How shall there be escape for us from this mighty array?

6.21.6 Then Arjuna, slayer of foes, looking upon the army of yours, O king, addressed the dejected son of Pṛthā, Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.21.7 By that means whereby the few overcome even the many heroes, men superior in wisdom and endowed with virtues—understand it, O lord of the people.

6.21.8 I shall declare to you that cause, O king, since you bear no malice. The sage Nārada knows it, and so do Bhīṣma and Droṇa, O son of Pāṇḍu.

6.21.9 Resting upon this very truth, the Grandsire, long ago, in the war between the gods and the demons, spoke to the dwellers of heaven led by mighty Indra.

6.21.10 Those who seek to conquer do not win victory so much by strength and prowess as by truth and compassion, by righteousness and by exertion.

6.21.11 Casting off unrighteousness, greed, and delusion, and taking your stand upon exertion, fight without arrogance; for where there is righteousness, there is victory.

6.21.12 Know this, O king: certain is our victory in battle. For as Nārada has told me, where Kṛṣṇa is, there is victory.

6.21.13 Victory is an attribute inherent in Kṛṣṇa; it follows close behind Mādhava. And conquest is his besides, while humility is yet another of his virtues.

6.21.14 Govinda, of boundless splendour, is untroubled amid hosts of enemies; he is the most ancient Person. Where Kṛṣṇa is, there is victory.

6.21.15 For of old, becoming Hari, the dweller in Vaikuṇṭha, whose shafts are never blunted, thundering forth amid gods and demons, he asked: 'Who shall be victorious?'

6.21.16 By those who said, 'Following Kṛṣṇa may we conquer,' victory was won; for by his grace the three worlds were gained by Śakra and the other gods.

6.21.17 For you, O Bhārata, whose victory the all-consuming lord of the gods himself desires, I see no cause whatever for distress.

6.22.1 Saṃjaya said: Then King Yudhiṣṭhira urged on his own army, drawing up its divisions to counter those of Bhīṣma, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.22.2 The Pāṇḍavas, those upholders of the Kuru line, arrayed their divisions as appointed, longing for the supreme heaven to be won through noble battle.

6.22.3 In the centre, Śikhaṇḍin's division was guarded by Savyasācin, and that of Dhṛṣṭadyumna was protected by Bhīma himself.

6.22.4 The right wing, O king, was guarded by Yuyudhāna, the glorious foremost of the Sātvatas, like Śakra wielding the bow.

6.22.5 Yudhiṣṭhira mounted his chariot, like the very car of great Indra, furnished with all its equipment, bright with gold and gems, its harness and trappings of gold, taking his place in the midst of the host of elephants.

6.22.6 Held high above him, his snow-white parasol with ribs of ivory shone exceedingly fair, and the great sages, circling that lord of men reverently, attended him with hymns of praise.

6.22.7 The household priests, aged great sages versed in sacred lore, pronouncing the doom of the foe, performed on every side the rites of benediction with muttered prayers, with sacred verses, and with healing herbs.

6.22.8 Then that high-souled foremost of the Kurus, bestowing upon the brāhmaṇas garments and cattle, fruits and flowers and pieces of gold, went forth like Śakra among the immortals.

6.22.9 Bright as a thousand suns, hung with a hundred little bells, adorned with the most precious river-born gold, the chariot of Arjuna, garlanded with flame like fire itself, blazed forth, drawn by white steeds and shod with goodly wheels.

6.22.10 Mounted upon it, ape-bannered, the reins held by Keśava, with Gāṇḍīva and shafts in hand, stood the bowman whose equal on earth there is not, nor shall ever be at any time.

6.22.11 About to overthrow the army of your son, he wore a form most terrible—he who, fair-armed and weaponless, could with his bare arms reduce men, horses, and elephants to ashes in battle.

6.22.12 That Bhīmasena, Vṛkodara, together with the twins, was the guardian of the heroes' chariot-host; beholding him sporting like a maddened bull or a lion, peerless in the world and the equal of great Indra—

6.22.13 —gazing upon Vṛkodara, unassailable, at the army's van, proud as a king of elephants, your warriors trembled, their spirits broken with fear, like camels mired in mud.

6.22.14 Then Janārdana spoke to the prince standing in the midst of the army, the unassailable, the best of the Bhāratas, Guḍākeśa.

6.22.15 Vāsudeva said: This guardian, blazing in his strength, who eyes our army like a lion—this is Bhīṣma, the banner of the Kuru race, by whom thirty horse-sacrifices were performed.

6.22.16 These divisions hide the mighty one as clouds conceal the hot-rayed sun. Having destroyed these, O foremost of men, then seek your battle with the bull of the Bhāratas.

6.22.17 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: On which side, Saṃjaya, did the warriors at the front fight gladly? Who there were high of heart, and who were dispirited and bewildered?

6.22.18 Who struck first there in that heart-shaking battle—my men or the Pāṇḍavas? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.22.19 In whose gathered army arose the fragrance of perfumes and garlands, and the auspicious words of the warriors as they roared aloud?

6.22.20 Saṃjaya said: In both armies there the warriors rejoiced with gladness, and on both sides arose the scents of garlands, incense, and drink.

6.22.21 As the close-massed, arrayed divisions, surging and swelling, crept forward, O bull of the Bhāratas, the clash between them grew immense.

6.22.22 Tumultuous was the din of the instruments, mingled with conches and kettledrums, with the trumpeting of elephants and the exultant shouts of the troops.

6.23.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: On the field of righteousness, on Kurukṣetra, gathered together and eager to fight, what did my men and the Pāṇḍavas do, O Saṃjaya?

6.23.2 Saṃjaya said: But King Duryodhana, beholding the Pāṇḍava army drawn up in array, then approached his teacher and spoke these words.

6.23.3 Behold, O teacher, this mighty host of the sons of Pāṇḍu, arrayed by the son of Drupada, your wise disciple.

6.23.4 Here are heroes, mighty archers, equal in battle to Bhīma and Arjuna: Yuyudhāna and Virāṭa, and Drupada the great chariot-warrior;

6.23.5 Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, and the valiant king of Kāśi; Purujit, Kuntibhoja, and Śaibya, a bull among men;

6.23.6 Yudhāmanyu the bold, and the valiant Uttamaujas; the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī—all of them great chariot-warriors.

6.23.7 But of our own who are the most distinguished, mark them, O best of the twice-born: the leaders of my army; for your knowledge I name them to you.

6.23.8 Your honoured self, and Bhīṣma, and Karṇa, and Kṛpa, ever victorious in battle; Aśvatthāman and Vikarṇa, and likewise the son of Somadatta;

6.23.9 and many other heroes besides, who have laid down their lives for my sake, armed with manifold weapons, all skilled in war.

6.23.10 Boundless is this force of ours, guarded by Bhīṣma, whereas the force of theirs, guarded by Bhīma, is limited.

6.23.11 Therefore, stationed each in his proper place at all the points of access, let all of you, every one, guard Bhīṣma above all.

6.23.12 Then, kindling his joy, the aged Kuru grandsire, the glorious one, roaring loud like a lion, blew his conch.

6.23.13 Thereupon conches and kettledrums, tabors and drums and horns were sounded all at once, and the noise of it was tumultuous.

6.23.14 Then, standing in their great chariot yoked with white steeds, Mādhava and the son of Pāṇḍu blew their divine conches.

6.23.15 Hṛṣīkeśa blew Pāñcajanya, Dhanaṃjaya blew Devadatta, and Vṛkodara of dreadful deeds blew the great conch Pauṇḍra.

6.23.16 King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, blew Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka.

6.23.17 The king of Kāśi, that supreme archer, and Śikhaṇḍin the great chariot-warrior, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Virāṭa, and the unvanquished Sātyaki;

6.23.18 Drupada and the sons of Draupadī, on every side, O lord of the earth, and the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā—each blew his several conch.

6.23.19 That tumultuous din, making sky and earth resound, rent the hearts of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons.

6.23.20 Then, beholding Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons drawn up in their ranks, as the clash of weapons was about to begin, the ape-bannered son of Pāṇḍu raised his bow

6.23.21 and then spoke this word to Hṛṣīkeśa, O lord of the earth: 'Set my chariot, O Acyuta, between the two armies,

6.23.22 that I may look upon these who stand here eager for battle, and see with whom I must do combat in this enterprise of war.

6.23.23 I would behold those who are gathered here ready to fight, seeking to do service in war to the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.'

6.23.24 Thus addressed by Guḍākeśa, O Bhārata, Hṛṣīkeśa, having stationed that finest of chariots between the two armies

6.23.25 before Bhīṣma and Droṇa and all the lords of the earth, said: 'O Pārtha, behold these Kurus gathered together.'

6.23.26 There the son of Pṛthā saw standing fathers and grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and comrades too;

6.23.27 fathers-in-law and well-wishers as well, in both the armies. Beholding all these kinsmen arrayed there, the son of Kuntī

6.23.28 was filled with deep compassion, and in dejection spoke this: 'Seeing these my own people, O Kṛṣṇa, drawn up and longing to fight,

6.23.29 my limbs give way and my mouth grows parched, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.

6.23.30 Gāṇḍīva slips from my hand, and my very skin is aflame; I cannot stand firm, and my mind seems to reel.

6.23.31 And I behold omens of evil import, O Keśava; nor do I foresee any good in slaying my own kinsmen in battle.

6.23.32 I crave not victory, O Kṛṣṇa, nor kingship, nor pleasures. What is kingship to us, O Govinda, what enjoyments, or even life itself?

6.23.33 Those for whose sake we desire kingship, enjoyments, and pleasures—these very ones stand here in battle, having renounced their lives and their wealth:

6.23.34 teachers, fathers, sons, and likewise grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, and kinsmen besides.

6.23.35 These I would not wish to slay, O slayer of Madhu, even though they slay me—no, not for the sovereignty of the three worlds, how much less for the earth!

6.23.36 By killing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, what joy could be ours, O Janārdana? Only sin would cling to us were we to slay these, though they be aggressors.

6.23.37 Therefore we ought not to slay the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra together with their kin; for having killed our own people, how could we be happy, O Mādhava?

6.23.38 Even though these, their minds overcome by greed, see no fault in the ruin of the family, no crime in treachery to friends,

6.23.39 how should we not know to turn back from this sin, O Janārdana, we who clearly see the fault in the ruin of the family?

6.23.40 In the ruin of the family, the eternal laws of the family perish; and when the law has perished, lawlessness overwhelms the whole family.

6.23.41 From the prevalence of lawlessness, O Kṛṣṇa, the women of the family are corrupted; and when the women are corrupted, O scion of Vṛṣṇi, there arises confusion of castes.

6.23.42 Such confusion leads only to hell, both for the destroyers of the family and for the family itself; for their ancestors fall, deprived of the offerings of rice and water.

6.23.43 By these misdeeds of the destroyers of the family, which bring about the confusion of castes, the eternal laws of caste and the eternal laws of the family are uprooted.

6.23.44 And for those men whose family laws have been destroyed, O Janārdana, a dwelling in hell is ordained — so we have heard handed down.

6.23.45 Alas! We are resolved to commit a great sin, in that, out of greed for the pleasures of kingship, we stand ready to slay our own kin.

6.23.46 If the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, weapons in hand, were to slay me in battle, unresisting and unarmed, that would be the more blessed end for me.

6.23.47 Having spoken thus on the field of battle, Arjuna sank down upon the seat of the chariot, casting aside his bow and arrows, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

6.24.1 Saṃjaya said: To him thus overcome by pity, his troubled eyes brimming with tears, despondent, the Slayer of Madhu spoke these words.

6.24.2 The Blessed Lord said: Whence has this faintheartedness come upon you in this hour of peril, O Arjuna — a thing unworthy of the noble, barring the way to heaven, bringing dishonor?

6.24.3 Yield not to unmanliness, O Pārtha; it does not become you. Cast off this base weakness of heart and arise, scorcher of foes!

6.24.4 Arjuna said: How, O Slayer of Madhu, shall I fight back with arrows in battle against Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship, O Slayer of foes?

6.24.5 For it were better in this world to eat even the bread of beggary than to slay these noble-souled elders. If I slew my elders, though they covet gain, I should taste, here and now, only delights smeared with blood.

6.24.6 Nor do we know which is the better for us — that we should conquer them, or that they should conquer us. Those whom if we slew we should not wish to live — the very sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra — stand arrayed against us.

6.24.7 My very nature undone by the taint of pitiable weakness, my mind bewildered as to what is right, I ask you: tell me with certainty what is the better course. I am your disciple; instruct me, who have taken refuge in you.

6.24.8 For I do not see what could dispel this grief that withers my senses, even were I to win on earth an unrivaled and prosperous kingdom, or even lordship over the gods.

6.24.9 Saṃjaya said: Having spoken thus to Hṛṣīkeśa, Guḍākeśa, the scorcher of foes, said to Govinda, "I shall not fight," and fell silent.

6.24.10 To him, O descendant of Bharata, as he sat despondent between the two armies, Hṛṣīkeśa spoke these words, as if with a smile.

6.24.11 The Blessed Lord said: You have grieved for those who should not be grieved for, yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise grieve neither for the dead nor for the living.

6.24.12 Never was there a time when I was not, nor you, nor these lords of men; nor shall any of us ever cease to be hereafter.

6.24.13 As the embodied soul passes, within this body, through childhood, youth, and old age, so does it pass to another body. The steadfast are not bewildered by this.

6.24.14 The contacts of the senses with their objects, O son of Kuntī, give rise to cold and heat, pleasure and pain. They come and go and are impermanent; endure them, O descendant of Bharata.

6.24.15 The man whom these do not disturb, O bull among men — the steadfast one, alike in pain and pleasure — he is fit for immortality.

6.24.16 Of the unreal there is no being; of the real there is no ceasing to be. The truth of both has been perceived by the seers of reality.

6.24.17 Know that to be indestructible by which all this is pervaded. None can bring about the destruction of this imperishable one.

6.24.18 These bodies of the eternal embodied soul are said to come to an end, while it is indestructible and immeasurable. Therefore fight, O descendant of Bharata.

6.24.19 He who thinks this one to be a slayer, and he who thinks it slain — neither of them understands. It neither slays nor is slain.

6.24.20 It is never born, nor does it ever die; having come to be, it shall not again cease to be. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient, it is not slain when the body is slain.

6.24.21 He who knows this one to be indestructible, eternal, unborn, and undiminishing — how, O Pārtha, can such a man cause anyone to be slain, or slay anyone?

6.24.22 As a man casts off worn-out garments and takes on others that are new, so the embodied soul casts off worn-out bodies and enters into others that are new.

6.24.23 Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, waters do not wet it, nor does the wind wither it.

6.24.24 It cannot be cut, it cannot be burned, it cannot be wetted, nor can it be dried. Eternal, all-pervading, fixed, unmoving, it is everlasting.

6.24.25 It is said to be unmanifest, unthinkable, and unchanging. Therefore, knowing it to be such, you ought not to grieve.

6.24.26 And even if you should think it to be ever born and ever dying, even then, O mighty-armed one, you ought not to grieve for it.

6.24.27 For of one that is born, death is certain; and of one that is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, over a thing that cannot be averted, you ought not to grieve.

6.24.28 Beings are unmanifest in their beginnings, manifest in their middle states, and unmanifest again at their end, O descendant of Bharata. What occasion, then, for lament?

6.24.29 One beholds it as a marvel; another likewise speaks of it as a marvel; and another hears of it as a marvel; yet even having heard, no one truly knows it.

6.24.30 This embodied soul, dwelling in the body of every being, is eternally inviolable, O descendant of Bharata. Therefore you ought not to grieve for any creature.

6.24.31 And looking to your own dharma, you ought not to waver; for there is no greater good for a warrior than a righteous battle.

6.24.32 Happy are the warriors, O Pārtha, to whom comes unsought such a battle, an open gate to heaven.

6.24.33 But if you will not wage this righteous war, then, forsaking your own dharma and your honor, you shall incur sin.

6.24.34 People, too, will tell of your undying disgrace; and for one held in honor, dishonor is worse than death.

6.24.35 The great warriors will think that you withdrew from the battle out of fear; and you who were once highly esteemed by them will fall into contempt.

6.24.36 And your enemies will speak many unspeakable words, scorning your prowess. What could be more painful than that?

6.24.37 Either slain, you shall attain heaven, or victorious, you shall enjoy the earth. Therefore arise, O son of Kuntī, resolved upon battle.

6.24.38 Holding pleasure and pain alike, gain and loss, victory and defeat, gird yourself then for battle; thus you shall incur no sin.

6.24.39 This wisdom has been declared to you according to Sāṃkhya; now hear it as it pertains to yoga, by which understanding, O Pārtha, once joined with it, you shall cast off the bondage of action.

6.24.40 In this path no effort is ever lost, and no obstacle arises; even a little of this dharma saves one from great fear.

6.24.41 Here the resolute understanding is one and single, O joy of the Kurus; but the thoughts of the irresolute are many-branched and endless.

6.24.42 The flowery speech that the unwise utter, O Pārtha — those who delight in the letter of the Veda, declaring that there is nothing more —

6.24.43 full of desire, intent on heaven, promising rebirth as the fruit of works, thronged with manifold rites directed toward enjoyment and power —

6.24.44 in those attached to enjoyment and power, whose minds are carried away by that speech, the resolute understanding fixed in contemplation is not established.

6.24.45 The Vedas have the three guṇas for their province; be free of the three guṇas, O Arjuna. Be free of the pairs of opposites, ever poised in purity, indifferent to acquisition and possession, master of yourself.

6.24.46 As much use as there is in a well when water floods on every side, so much is there in all the Vedas for the brāhmaṇa who truly knows.

6.24.47 Your right is to the work alone, never to its fruits. Let not the fruit of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

6.24.48 Established in yoga, perform your actions, abandoning attachment, O Dhanaṃjaya, alike in success and in failure; for this evenness of mind is called yoga.

6.24.49 For action is far inferior to the yoga of understanding, O Dhanaṃjaya. Seek refuge in understanding; pitiable are those who act for the sake of fruits.

6.24.50 He who is joined to understanding casts off, here in this life, both good deeds and evil deeds. Therefore devote yourself to yoga; yoga is skill in action.

6.24.51 For the wise, joined to understanding, abandoning the fruit born of action, are freed from the bondage of birth and reach the state beyond all ill.

6.24.52 When your understanding crosses beyond the thicket of delusion, then you shall grow indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is yet to be heard.

6.24.53 When your understanding, bewildered by scripture, shall stand unmoving and unwavering, fixed in contemplation, then you shall attain to yoga.

6.24.54 Arjuna said: What is the description of the man of steadfast wisdom, who abides in contemplation, O Keśava? How does the man of steady mind speak, how does he sit, how does he walk?

6.24.55 The Blessed Lord said: When a man casts off all the desires that come into his mind, O Pārtha, content in the Self by the Self alone, then is he called a man of steadfast wisdom.

6.24.56 He whose mind is untroubled amid sorrows, who has no craving for pleasures, and from whom longing, fear, and anger have departed — he is called a sage of steady mind.

6.24.57 He who is without attachment on every side, who, meeting with whatever is good or evil, neither rejoices nor recoils — his wisdom stands firm.

6.24.58 And when, like a tortoise drawing in its limbs from every side, he withdraws his senses from the objects of sense, his wisdom stands firm.

6.24.59 The objects of sense turn away from the embodied one who abstains from them, yet the relish for them remains; but even that relish departs once he has beheld the Supreme.

6.24.60 For even in the man of discernment who strives, O son of Kuntī, the turbulent senses carry away the mind by force.

6.24.61 Having restrained all these, let him sit, steadfast in yoga, intent on Me; for he whose senses are mastered — his wisdom stands firm.

6.24.62 In the man who dwells in thought upon the objects of sense, attachment to them is born; from attachment springs desire, and from desire arises anger.

6.24.63 From anger comes delusion, from delusion the wandering of memory; from the loss of memory comes the ruin of understanding, and from the ruin of understanding he perishes.

6.24.64 But the man of disciplined self, moving among the objects of sense with senses freed from longing and aversion and brought under his own control, attains to serenity.

6.24.65 In that serenity there arises for him the cessation of all his sorrows; for in the man of serene mind the understanding soon becomes firmly established.

6.24.66 There is no understanding for the undisciplined, nor for the undisciplined any power of contemplation; and for him without contemplation there is no peace — and for the peaceless, whence happiness?

6.24.67 For when the mind yields to the roving senses, it carries away his wisdom, as the wind carries away a ship upon the waters.

6.24.68 Therefore, O mighty-armed one, he whose senses are wholly restrained from the objects of sense — his wisdom stands firm.

6.24.69 In that which is night for all beings, the man of self-restraint is awake; and that in which all beings are awake is night for the sage who sees.

6.24.70 As the waters enter the ocean, which, ever filling, abides unmoved, so he into whom all desires enter attains peace — not he who lusts after desires.

6.24.71 The man who, abandoning all desires, moves about free from longing, without the sense of "mine" and without egoism — he attains to peace.

6.24.72 This is the state of Brahman, O Pārtha; attaining it, none is deluded. Abiding in it even at the hour of death, one reaches the nirvāṇa of Brahman.

6.25.1 Arjuna said: If you hold understanding to be better than action, O Janārdana, then why do you urge me to this terrible deed, O Keśava?

6.25.2 With words that seem confused, you bewilder, as it were, my understanding. Tell me, therefore, with certainty, the one path by which I may attain the higher good.

6.25.3 The Blessed Lord said: In this world a twofold path was taught of old by me, O blameless one — that of knowledge for the followers of Sāṃkhya, and that of action for those devoted to yoga.

6.25.4 Not by abstaining from actions does a man attain freedom from action, nor by renunciation alone does he reach perfection.

6.25.5 For no one ever, even for a moment, remains without performing action; everyone is driven to act, helplessly, by the qualities born of material nature.

6.25.6 He who, restraining the organs of action, sits dwelling in his mind upon the objects of sense — that deluded soul is called a hypocrite.

6.25.7 But he who, restraining the senses with the mind, O Arjuna, undertakes through the organs of action the yoga of action, unattached — he excels.

6.25.8 Perform your appointed action, for action is better than inaction; even the maintenance of your body could not be accomplished without action.

6.25.9 Save for action performed for the sake of sacrifice, this world is bound by action; therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform action for that purpose, free from attachment.

6.25.10 Having of old created mankind together with sacrifice, the Lord of Creatures said: By this shall you bring forth offspring; let this be the cow that yields all your desires.

6.25.11 By this nourish the gods, and let the gods nourish you; nourishing one another, you shall attain the highest good.

6.25.12 For the gods, nourished by sacrifice, will grant you the enjoyments you desire; but he who enjoys their gifts without offering anything in return to them is verily a thief.

6.25.13 The good, who eat the remnants of sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but the wicked, who cook only for their own sake, partake of evil.

6.25.14 From food creatures come into being; from rain food is produced; from sacrifice arises rain; and sacrifice is born of action.

6.25.15 Know that action springs from Brahman, and Brahman springs from the Imperishable; therefore the all-pervading Brahman is ever established in sacrifice.

6.25.16 He who in this world does not keep turning the wheel thus set in motion lives in vain, O Pārtha — a man of sinful life, delighting in the senses.

6.25.17 But the man whose delight is in the Self alone, who is content in the Self, and satisfied within the Self — for him there exists no duty to be done.

6.25.18 For him there is no purpose whatever in what is done, nor any in what is left undone; nor has he any need to depend upon any being among all creatures.

6.25.19 Therefore, ever unattached, perform the action that ought to be done; for performing action without attachment, a man attains the Supreme.

6.25.20 For by action alone did Janaka and others attain perfection; and with regard to the welfare of the world too, you ought to act.

6.25.21 Whatever a great man does, that very thing other people do; whatever standard he sets, the world follows it.

6.25.22 For me, O Pārtha, there is nothing whatever to be done in the three worlds, nothing unattained that need be attained; yet I remain engaged in action.

6.25.23 For if I did not remain ever tirelessly engaged in action, men would follow my path in every way, O Pārtha.

6.25.24 These worlds would fall to ruin if I did not perform action; I would be the author of confusion and would destroy these creatures.

6.25.25 As the ignorant act, attached to action, O Bhārata, so should the wise man act, but unattached, desiring the welfare of the world.

6.25.26 Let him not unsettle the understanding of the ignorant who are attached to action; the wise man, himself disciplined, should engage in all actions and so encourage them to do likewise.

6.25.27 Actions are in every way performed by the qualities of material nature; but he whose soul is deluded by egoism thinks, "I am the doer."

6.25.28 But he who knows the truth, O mighty-armed, about the divisions of the qualities and of action, recognizing that it is the qualities that act upon the qualities, does not become attached.

6.25.29 Those deluded by the qualities of material nature become attached to the actions of those qualities; but let not the man of complete knowledge unsettle those dull ones of incomplete knowledge.

6.25.30 Surrendering all actions to me, with your mind fixed on the Supreme Self, and becoming free from longing and from the sense of "mine," fight, your fever gone.

6.25.31 Those men who constantly follow this teaching of mine, full of faith and free from cavil, they too are released from the bondage of actions.

6.25.32 But those who, cavilling at it, do not follow this teaching of mine — know them to be deluded in all knowledge, mindless, and lost.

6.25.33 Even the man of knowledge acts in accordance with his own nature; beings follow their nature — what can restraint accomplish?

6.25.34 In the object of each sense, attraction and aversion are seated; let none come under their sway, for they are his two waylayers.

6.25.35 Better is one's own duty, though imperfectly done, than the duty of another well performed; better is death in one's own duty — the duty of another is fraught with danger.

6.25.36 Arjuna said: But impelled by what does a man commit sin, O Vārṣṇeya, even against his will, as if driven by force?

6.25.37 The Blessed Lord said: It is desire, it is wrath, born of the quality of passion, all-devouring and most sinful — know this to be the enemy here.

6.25.38 As fire is obscured by smoke, and a mirror by dust, as an embryo is enveloped by the womb's membrane, so is this enveloped by that.

6.25.39 Knowledge is enveloped by this constant enemy of the wise, O son of Kuntī — in the form of desire, an insatiable fire.

6.25.40 The senses, the mind, and the intellect are said to be its seat; through these it deludes the embodied one, veiling his knowledge.

6.25.41 Therefore, O bull among the Bhāratas, first restraining the senses, cast off this sinful thing, the destroyer of knowledge and discrimination.

6.25.42 The senses, they say, are great; greater than the senses is the mind; greater than the mind is the intellect; but greater than the intellect is He.

6.25.43 Thus knowing Him who is beyond the intellect, and steadying the self by the Self, slay, O mighty-armed, the enemy in the form of desire, hard to overcome.

6.26.1 The Blessed Lord said: This imperishable yoga I declared to Vivasvat; Vivasvat told it to Manu; and Manu spoke it to Ikṣvāku.

6.26.2 Thus received in succession, the royal sages knew it; but through the long lapse of time that yoga was lost here, O scorcher of foes.

6.26.3 That very same ancient yoga has today been declared by me to you, for you are my devotee and my friend; and this is the supreme secret.

6.26.4 Arjuna said: Later was your birth, earlier the birth of Vivasvat; how then am I to understand this — that you declared it in the beginning?

6.26.5 The Blessed Lord said: Many are the births that have passed for me and for you, O Arjuna; all of them I know, but you do not know them, O scorcher of foes.

6.26.6 Though I am unborn and of imperishable Self, though I am the Lord of all beings, yet, governing my own material nature, I come into being through my own power of illusion.

6.26.7 For whenever there is a decline of righteousness, O Bhārata, and a rising up of unrighteousness, then I send forth myself.

6.26.8 For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the firm establishment of righteousness, I come into being age after age.

6.26.9 He who thus knows in truth my divine birth and action, on leaving the body is not born again, but comes to me, O Arjuna.

6.26.10 Freed from passion, fear, and wrath, absorbed in me and taking refuge in me, many, purified by the austerity of knowledge, have come to my state of being.

6.26.11 In whatever way men approach me, in that same way do I favor them; in every way, O Pārtha, men follow my path.

6.26.12 Desiring the fruition of their actions, men here worship the gods; for swiftly in the world of men comes the success born of action.

6.26.13 The fourfold order was created by me according to the divisions of quality and action; though I am its author, know me to be the non-doer, the changeless.

6.26.14 Actions do not taint me, nor have I any longing for the fruit of action; he who knows me thus is not bound by actions.

6.26.15 Knowing this, the ancient seekers of liberation also performed action; therefore do you too perform action, as it was done by those of old in former times.

6.26.16 What is action, what is inaction? — even the wise are bewildered here. I shall declare to you that action, knowing which you shall be freed from evil.

6.26.17 For the nature of action must be understood, and the nature of wrong action must be understood, and the nature of inaction too must be understood; profound is the course of action.

6.26.18 He who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is wise among men; he is disciplined, a doer of all action.

6.26.19 He whose every undertaking is free from the prompting of desire, whose actions are burned up in the fire of knowledge — him the wise call a sage.

6.26.20 Having abandoned attachment to the fruit of action, ever content, depending on nothing, even when fully engaged in action he does nothing at all.

6.26.21 Free from longing, his mind and self restrained, having relinquished all possessions, performing action with the body alone, he incurs no sin.

6.26.22 Content with what comes unsought, beyond the pairs of opposites, free from envy, even-minded in success and in failure — though he acts, he is not bound.

6.26.23 For one who is free from attachment, liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, who acts for the sake of sacrifice — his whole action dissolves away.

6.26.24 Brahman is the offering, Brahman the oblation, poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman; Brahman alone is to be reached by him who meditates upon Brahman in his action.

6.26.25 Some yogins perform sacrifice to the gods alone, while others offer the sacrifice itself as oblation into the fire of Brahman.

6.26.26 Some offer the senses, hearing and the rest, into the fires of restraint; others offer sound and the other objects of sense into the fires of the senses.

6.26.27 And others offer all the activities of the senses and the activities of the vital breath into the fire of the yoga of self-restraint, kindled by knowledge.

6.26.28 Some make sacrifice with material things, some with austerity, some with yoga; and others, ascetics of strict vows, sacrifice with study of scripture and with knowledge.

6.26.29 Some offer the outgoing breath into the incoming breath, and likewise the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the courses of inhalation and exhalation, intent upon the control of breath.

6.26.30 Others, with regulated diet, offer the vital breaths into the vital breaths; all these indeed are knowers of sacrifice, their impurities consumed by sacrifice.

6.26.31 Those who feed on the nectar of the remnants of sacrifice go to the eternal Brahman; this world is not for him who offers no sacrifice — how then the other, O best of the Kurus?

6.26.32 Thus manifold sacrifices are spread out before the face of Brahman; know them all to be born of action, and knowing this, you shall be liberated.

6.26.33 Better than the sacrifice of material things is the sacrifice of knowledge, O scorcher of foes; all action in its entirety, O Pārtha, culminates in knowledge.

6.26.34 Know that by humble reverence, by inquiry, and by service; the wise, the seers of truth, will instruct you in that knowledge.

6.26.35 Knowing which you shall not again fall into such delusion, O son of Pāṇḍu, and through which you shall see all beings, without exception, within yourself and then in me.

6.26.36 Even if you were the most sinful of all sinners, by the raft of knowledge alone you shall cross over all wickedness.

6.26.37 As a kindled fire reduces firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ashes.

6.26.38 For there exists here no purifier equal to knowledge; he who is himself perfected in yoga finds it in time within his own self.

6.26.39 The man of faith, devoted to it and master of his senses, attains knowledge; and having attained knowledge, he quickly reaches the supreme peace.

6.26.40 The ignorant one, devoid of faith, whose very self is doubt, comes to ruin; for the doubting soul there is neither this world nor the world beyond, nor any happiness.

6.26.41 The one who has renounced action through yoga, whose doubt has been severed by knowledge, who is possessed of the self—such a one, O Dhanaṃjaya, actions do not bind.

6.26.42 Therefore, having cut away with the sword of knowledge this doubt born of ignorance that dwells in your heart, take your stand in yoga, and rise up, O Bhārata!

6.27.1 Arjuna said: You praise the renunciation of actions, O Kṛṣṇa, and again you praise yoga. Tell me with full certainty which one of these two is the better.

6.27.2 The Blessed Lord said: Both renunciation and the yoga of action lead to the highest good; yet of the two, the yoga of action is more excellent than the renunciation of action.

6.27.3 He is to be known as the perpetual renouncer who neither hates nor craves; for the one free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed, is easily released from bondage.

6.27.4 It is children, not the wise, who speak of Sāṃkhya and yoga as distinct; one who is rightly established in even one of them gains the fruit of both.

6.27.5 The state that is attained by the followers of Sāṃkhya is reached by the yogins as well; he who sees Sāṃkhya and yoga as one, he truly sees.

6.27.6 But renunciation, O mighty-armed, is hard to attain without yoga; the sage yoked in yoga reaches Brahman before long.

6.27.7 Yoked in yoga, of purified self, his self mastered and his senses conquered, his self become the self of all beings—though he acts, he is not stained.

6.27.8 "I do nothing at all"—so should the yoked one, the knower of truth, think, even while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, walking, sleeping, breathing,

6.27.9 speaking, releasing, grasping, opening and closing his eyes—holding fast to the truth that it is the senses alone that move among the objects of the senses.

6.27.10 He who acts, surrendering his actions to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is untouched by evil, as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.

6.27.11 With the body, the mind, the intellect, and the senses alone, the yogins perform action, abandoning attachment, for the purification of the self.

6.27.12 The yoked one, having abandoned the fruit of action, attains lasting peace; the unyoked one, driven by desire and attached to the fruit, is bound.

6.27.13 Renouncing all actions with the mind, the master of himself, the embodied one rests happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing to act.

6.27.14 The Lord creates for the world neither agency nor actions, nor the union of action with its fruit; it is inherent nature that takes its course.

6.27.15 The all-pervading one takes on no one's evil deed, nor indeed any good deed; knowledge is veiled by ignorance, and by this creatures are deluded.

6.27.16 But for those whose ignorance of the self has been destroyed by knowledge, their knowledge, like the sun, illumines that Supreme.

6.27.17 With their understanding fixed on That, their self in That, established in That, holding That as their supreme goal, they go to that from which there is no return, their stains shaken off by knowledge.

6.27.18 In a brāhmaṇa endowed with learning and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, and in a dog, and even in one who eats the flesh of dogs, the wise see the same.

6.27.19 Even here the round of birth is conquered by those whose mind is established in equanimity; for Brahman is flawless and the same in all, and therefore they abide in Brahman.

6.27.20 He would not rejoice on gaining what is pleasant, nor shudder on gaining what is unpleasant—steady of understanding, undeluded, the knower of Brahman, established in Brahman.

6.27.21 With his self unattached to outward contacts, he finds the happiness that lies within the self; with his self yoked in union with Brahman, he enjoys imperishable happiness.

6.27.22 For the enjoyments born of contact are wombs of pain alone; they have a beginning and an end, O son of Kuntī, and the wise man does not delight in them.

6.27.23 He who is able, here in this very life, before he is freed from the body, to withstand the surge born of desire and anger—he is yoked, he is the happy man.

6.27.24 He whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, whose light too is within—that yogin, having become Brahman, attains the extinction that is Brahman.

6.27.25 The seers whose stains are worn away attain the extinction that is Brahman—their dualities cut away, their selves controlled, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings.

6.27.26 For the ascetics freed from desire and anger, their minds controlled, who have come to know the self, the extinction that is Brahman is present on every side.

6.27.27 Shutting out external contacts, fixing the gaze between the brows, making even the inward and outward breaths that move within the nostrils,

6.27.28 the sage whose senses, mind, and intellect are restrained, intent on liberation, from whom desire, fear, and anger have departed—he is forever truly free.

6.27.29 Knowing Me as the enjoyer of sacrifices and austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, the friend of all beings, one attains peace.

6.28.1 The Blessed Lord said: He who performs the work that ought to be done without depending on its fruit—he is both a renouncer and a yogin, not the one who is without sacred fire and without rites.

6.28.2 That which they call renunciation, know that to be yoga, O Pāṇḍava; for no one becomes a yogin who has not renounced his selfish purposes.

6.28.3 For the sage who wishes to ascend to yoga, action is said to be the means; for that same one who has ascended to yoga, serenity is said to be the means.

6.28.4 For when one clings neither to the objects of the senses nor to actions, having renounced all selfish intentions, then he is said to have ascended to yoga.

6.28.5 Let a man lift up the self by the self, and not let the self sink down; for the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.

6.28.6 For him who has conquered the self by the self, the self is the friend of the self; but for one without self-mastery, the self alone abides in enmity, like a foe.

6.28.7 For one of conquered self, who is tranquil, the supreme Self stays steadfast amid cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and likewise in honor and dishonor.

6.28.8 He whose self is content with knowledge and discernment, who stands unmoved on the summit, whose senses are conquered, to whom a clod, a stone, and gold are alike—such a yogin is called yoked.

6.28.9 He whose understanding is the same toward well-wisher, friend, and foe, toward the indifferent, the neutral, the hateful, and the kinsman, and toward the good and the wicked alike—he is the most excellent.

6.28.10 Let the yogin ever yoke himself, abiding in a secret place, alone, his mind and self controlled, free of expectation and free of possessions.

6.28.11 Setting up for himself in a clean place a firm seat, neither too high nor too low, covered with cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass,

6.28.12 there, making the mind one-pointed, with the activity of thought and senses restrained, seated upon his seat, let him practice yoga for the purification of the self.

6.28.13 Holding body, head, and neck erect, motionless and steady, gazing at the tip of his own nose and not looking about in any direction,

6.28.14 his self tranquil, his fear gone, firm in the vow of chastity, restraining the mind, with his thought on Me, let him sit yoked, holding Me as the supreme.

6.28.15 Thus ever yoking the self, the yogin of disciplined mind attains the peace that culminates in extinction and abides in Me.

6.28.16 Yoga is not for one who eats too much, nor for one who does not eat at all, nor for one given to too much sleep, nor again for one who keeps awake, O Arjuna.

6.28.17 For one moderate in eating and recreation, moderate in his efforts at work, moderate in sleeping and waking, yoga becomes the destroyer of sorrow.

6.28.18 When the disciplined mind comes to rest in the self alone, free of longing for all desires, then one is said to be yoked.

6.28.19 As a lamp standing in a windless place does not flicker—that is the likeness remembered of the yogin of controlled mind, practicing the yoga of the self.

6.28.20 When the mind comes to rest, stilled by the practice of yoga, and when, beholding the self by the self, one is content within the self;

6.28.21 when one knows that boundless happiness which is grasped by the intellect and lies beyond the senses, and, established there, this man no longer wavers from the truth;

6.28.22 having gained which, he thinks no other gain greater than it, and, established in which, he is not shaken even by heavy sorrow—

6.28.23 let him know that disjunction from union with pain to be what is named yoga. That yoga is to be practiced with resolve and with an unwearied mind.

6.28.24 Abandoning without remainder all desires born of selfish intention, and restraining the whole host of the senses on every side by the mind alone,

6.28.25 little by little let him come to rest, by an intellect held firm in steadfastness; fixing the mind upon the self, let him not think of anything at all.

6.28.26 Whenever and wherever the restless, unsteady mind wanders away, from there let him rein it in and bring it under the sway of the self alone.

6.28.27 For supreme happiness comes to this yogin whose mind is tranquil, whose passion is stilled, who has become Brahman and is free of stain.

6.28.28 Thus ever yoking the self, the yogin freed from stain easily enjoys the boundless happiness of contact with Brahman.

6.28.29 His self yoked in yoga, seeing the same everywhere, he beholds the self abiding in all beings and all beings in the self.

6.28.30 He who sees Me everywhere and sees all things in Me—for him I am not lost, and he is not lost to Me.

6.28.31 The yogin who, established in oneness, worships Me as abiding in all beings—in whatever way he lives, that yogin lives in Me.

6.28.32 He who, by the likeness of himself, sees the same everywhere, O Arjuna, whether it be pleasure or pain—that yogin is held to be the highest.

6.28.33 Arjuna said: This yoga that you have declared to consist of equanimity, O slayer of Madhu—of it I do not see any stable foundation, because of the restlessness of the mind.

6.28.34 For the mind is restless, O Kṛṣṇa, turbulent, powerful, and obstinate; I think the restraining of it as hard to achieve as that of the wind.

6.28.35 The Blessed Lord said: Without doubt, O mighty-armed, the mind is hard to restrain and unsteady; yet by practice, O son of Kuntī, and by dispassion it is held in check.

6.28.36 By one whose self is unrestrained, yoga is hard to attain—such is My judgment; but by one whose self is mastered and who strives, it can be attained by the proper means.

6.28.37 Arjuna said: One who does not strive, though endowed with faith, his mind fallen away from yoga, having failed to reach perfection in yoga—what path, O Kṛṣṇa, does he go to?

6.28.38 Does he not, fallen from both, perish like a scattered cloud, O mighty-armed, without foundation and bewildered upon the path of Brahman?

6.28.39 This doubt of mine, O Kṛṣṇa, you ought to cut away without remainder; for no other than you can be found to dispel this doubt.

6.28.40 The Blessed Lord said: O Pārtha, neither here nor in the world beyond is there any ruin for him; for no one who does good, my dear, comes to a sorry end.

6.28.41 Having attained the worlds of those who do meritorious deeds, and having dwelt there for endless years, the one fallen from yoga is born again in the house of the pure and the prosperous.

6.28.42 Or else he comes to be born in the family of wise yogins; for such a birth as this is the more difficult to win in this world.

6.28.43 There he regains that union with the understanding gained in his former body, and from there he strives onward once more toward perfection, O joy of the Kurus.

6.28.44 For by that very practice of his former life he is carried onward, even against his will; and merely seeking to know yoga, he passes beyond the Brahman of the word.

6.28.45 But the yogin who strives with effort, his stains thoroughly purified, perfected through many births, then attains the supreme goal.

6.28.46 The yogin is greater than the ascetics, and held to be greater even than the men of knowledge, and the yogin is greater than the men of works; therefore become a yogin, O Arjuna.

6.28.47 And of all yogins, he who worships Me full of faith, his inmost self gone forth to Me—him I hold to be the most deeply yoked.

6.29.1 The Blessed Lord said: With your mind attached to Me, O Pārtha, practicing yoga and taking refuge in Me, hear how you shall know Me wholly and without doubt.

6.29.2 I shall declare to you in full this knowledge together with its realization, knowing which nothing further remains here to be known.

6.29.3 Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and even among those who strive and attain it, scarcely one knows Me in truth.

6.29.4 Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and ego-sense — thus is My nature divided eightfold.

6.29.5 This is My lower nature; but know, O mighty-armed one, My other and higher nature, which has become the living soul, by which this world is sustained.

6.29.6 Understand that all beings have their womb in these two natures. I am the origin of the whole universe, and likewise its dissolution.

6.29.7 There is nothing whatever higher than Me, O Dhanaṃjaya. Upon Me all this is strung, like rows of pearls upon a thread.

6.29.8 I am the savor in the waters, O son of Kuntī; I am the radiance in the moon and the sun; the sacred syllable Oṃ in all the Vedas, sound in the ether, and manhood in men.

6.29.9 I am the pure fragrance in the earth and the brilliance in fire; I am the life in all beings, and the austerity in ascetics.

6.29.10 Know Me, O Pārtha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent, the splendor of the splendid.

6.29.11 I am the strength of the strong, freed from desire and passion; and in beings I am desire that is not opposed to dharma, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.29.12 And whatever states of being there are — of sattva, of rajas, or of tamas — know that they proceed from Me alone; yet I am not in them, but they are in Me.

6.29.13 Deluded by these three states composed of the guṇas, all this world fails to recognize Me, who am beyond them and imperishable.

6.29.14 For this divine māyā of Mine, composed of the guṇas, is hard to overcome; but those who take refuge in Me alone cross beyond this māyā.

6.29.15 The evildoers, the deluded, the basest of men do not take refuge in Me; their knowledge carried off by māyā, they cleave to the demonic nature.

6.29.16 Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna: the afflicted, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of gain, and the one who knows, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.29.17 Of these, the knower, ever steadfast and devoted to the One, excels; for to the knower I am exceedingly dear, and he is dear to Me.

6.29.18 Noble indeed are all of these, but the knower I hold to be My very Self; for, his soul made steadfast, he is established in Me alone as the supreme goal.

6.29.19 At the end of many births, the man of knowledge takes refuge in Me, realizing, 'Vāsudeva is all.' Such a great soul is very hard to find.

6.29.20 Those whose knowledge is carried off by this or that desire resort to other deities, observing this or that rite, constrained by their own nature.

6.29.21 Whatever form any devotee desires to worship with faith, that same unwavering faith I bestow upon him.

6.29.22 Endowed with that faith, he seeks to propitiate that form, and from it he obtains his desires — desires ordained by Me alone.

6.29.23 But the fruit gained by these men of little understanding is perishable. The worshippers of the gods go to the gods; My devotees come to Me.

6.29.24 The unintelligent think of Me, the unmanifest, as having come into manifestation, not knowing My higher nature, imperishable and supreme.

6.29.25 I am not revealed to all, veiled as I am by My yoga-māyā. This deluded world does not recognize Me, the unborn and imperishable.

6.29.26 I know the beings that are past, that are present, and that are yet to come, O Arjuna; but Me no one knows.

6.29.27 By the delusion of the pairs of opposites, sprung from desire and aversion, O Bhārata, all beings fall into bewilderment at their birth, O scorcher of foes.

6.29.28 But those men of virtuous deeds in whom sin has come to an end — they, freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me, firm in their vows.

6.29.29 Those who take refuge in Me and strive for release from old age and death — they come to know that Brahman in its fullness, the supreme Self, and action in its entirety.

6.29.30 Those who know Me together with the Adhibhūta, the Adhidaiva, and the Adhiyajña — they, their minds made steadfast, know Me even at the hour of departure.

6.30.1 Arjuna said: What is that Brahman? What is the Adhyātma, the supreme Self? What is action, O best of beings? What is declared to be the Adhibhūta, and what is called the Adhidaiva?

6.30.2 Who and how is the Adhiyajña here in this body, O slayer of Madhu? And how, at the hour of departure, are You to be known by those of disciplined self?

6.30.3 The Blessed Lord said: The imperishable, the supreme, is Brahman; one's own essential nature is called the Adhyātma; and the creative force that brings about the origin of the states of beings is named action (karman).

6.30.4 The Adhibhūta is the perishable existence; the Puruṣa is the Adhidaiva; and the Adhiyajña am I Myself, here within this body, O best of the embodied.

6.30.5 And whoever, at the hour of his end, departs leaving the body while remembering Me alone, attains to My being; of this there is no doubt.

6.30.6 Whatever state of being one remembers when at the last he gives up the body, to that very state he goes, O son of Kuntī, ever shaped by the thought of it.

6.30.7 Therefore at all times remember Me, and fight. With mind and intellect fixed on Me, you shall surely come to Me alone.

6.30.8 With a mind made steadfast by the yoga of practice, not straying to anything else, meditating upon Him, one attains the supreme, the divine Puruṣa, O Pārtha.

6.30.9 He who meditates upon the Seer, the ancient, the ruler, subtler than the subtlest, the sustainer of all, whose form is beyond thought, sun-hued, beyond the darkness —

6.30.10 at the hour of departure, with unwavering mind, endowed with devotion and with the power of yoga, fixing the breath rightly between the brows — he attains that supreme, divine Puruṣa.

6.30.11 That which the knowers of the Veda call the imperishable, which the passion-free ascetics enter, desiring which men practice the discipline of brahmacarya — that state I shall declare to you in brief.

6.30.12 Controlling all the gates of the body, confining the mind within the heart, fixing one's own breath in the head, established in the steadfastness of yoga,

6.30.13 uttering the single syllable Oṃ, which is Brahman, and remembering Me — he who thus departs, giving up the body, goes to the supreme goal.

6.30.14 To him whose mind dwells on no other, who remembers Me constantly and without ceasing — to that ever-steadfast yogin, O Pārtha, I am easy to attain.

6.30.15 Having come to Me, the great souls who have reached the highest perfection do not return to rebirth, that impermanent abode of sorrow.

6.30.16 All the worlds, up to the realm of Brahmā, are subject to return, O Arjuna; but having come to Me, O son of Kuntī, there is no rebirth.

6.30.17 Those who know that a day of Brahmā lasts a thousand ages, and that his night too ends only after a thousand ages — they are the men who know day and night.

6.30.18 At the coming of the day, all manifestations spring forth from the unmanifest; at the coming of the night they dissolve back into that same source called the unmanifest.

6.30.19 This same multitude of beings, coming into existence again and again, dissolves helplessly at the coming of the night, O Pārtha, and comes forth again at the coming of the day.

6.30.20 But higher than that unmanifest is another, an eternal Unmanifest, which, when all beings perish, does not itself perish.

6.30.21 That Unmanifest is called the Imperishable; they declare it the supreme goal, attaining which men do not return. That is My supreme abode.

6.30.22 That supreme Puruṣa, O Pārtha, within whom all beings dwell and by whom all this is pervaded, is to be attained by undivided devotion.

6.30.23 Now I shall tell you, O bull of the Bhāratas, of the time at which yogins, having departed, go to return no more, and of that at which they go to return again.

6.30.24 Fire, light, the day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the sun's northern course — departing then, men who know Brahman go to Brahman.

6.30.25 Smoke, the night, likewise the dark fortnight, the six months of the sun's southern course — departing then, the yogin attains the lunar light and returns.

6.30.26 These two paths of the world, the bright and the dark, are held to be eternal. By the one a man goes never to return; by the other he returns again.

6.30.27 Knowing these two paths, O Pārtha, no yogin is ever deluded. Therefore at all times be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna.

6.30.28 Whatever fruit of merit is laid down for the Vedas, for sacrifices, for austerities, and for gifts — the yogin, knowing all this, transcends it all and attains the supreme, primal abode.

6.31.1 The Blessed Lord said: To you, who do not cavil, I shall now declare this most secret knowledge together with its realization, knowing which you shall be freed from evil.

6.31.2 This is the king of sciences, the king of secrets, the supreme purifier, directly intelligible, in accord with dharma, easy to practice, and imperishable.

6.31.3 Men without faith in this dharma, O scorcher of foes, fail to attain Me and return upon the path of death and the round of rebirth.

6.31.4 By Me, in My unmanifest form, all this universe is pervaded. All beings abide in Me, but I do not abide in them.

6.31.5 And yet the beings do not abide in Me — behold My sovereign yoga! Sustaining all beings, yet not dwelling in them, My Self is the source of beings.

6.31.6 As the mighty wind, ranging everywhere, abides forever in the ether, so understand that all beings abide in Me.

6.31.7 All beings, O son of Kuntī, return into My nature at the end of a kalpa; at the beginning of the next kalpa I send them forth again.

6.31.8 Resting upon My own nature, I send forth again and again this whole multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of that nature.

6.31.9 Nor do these actions bind Me, O Dhanaṃjaya, for I remain seated as one indifferent, unattached to those actions.

6.31.10 Under My oversight, nature brings forth all that moves and does not move; by this cause, O son of Kuntī, the world revolves.

6.31.11 The deluded despise Me, dwelling as I do in a human form, not knowing My higher nature as the great Lord of all beings.

6.31.12 Vain in their hopes, vain in their deeds, vain in their knowledge, and bereft of discernment, they cleave to a deluding nature, demonic and fiendish.

6.31.13 But the great souls, O Pārtha, who have taken refuge in the divine nature, worship Me with minds undistracted, knowing Me as the imperishable source of all beings.

6.31.14 Ever glorifying Me, striving, firm in their vows, and bowing before Me with devotion, ever steadfast they worship Me.

6.31.15 Others too, sacrificing through the sacrifice of knowledge, worship Me — as the One, as the manifold, as variously present, facing in every direction.

6.31.16 I am the rite, I am the sacrifice, I am the offering to the ancestors, I am the healing herb, I am the sacred chant, I am the clarified butter, I am the fire, and I am the oblation.

6.31.17 I am the father of this world, the mother, the sustainer, the grandsire; I am the object of knowledge, the purifier, the syllable Oṃ, and the Ṛk, the Sāman, and the Yajus as well.

6.31.18 I am the goal, the upholder, the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge, the friend; the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the resting-place, and the imperishable seed.

6.31.19 I give heat; I withhold the rain and send it forth. I am immortality and also death; I am being and non-being, O Arjuna.

6.31.20 The knowers of the three Vedas, the soma-drinkers, purified of sin, worshipping Me with sacrifices, pray for passage to heaven; reaching the holy world of Indra, lord of the gods, they enjoy in heaven the divine pleasures of the gods.

6.31.21 Having enjoyed that vast heavenly world, when their merit is exhausted they enter the world of mortals. Thus, following the dharma of the three Vedas and craving objects of desire, they obtain only the coming and the going.

6.31.22 But to those men who, thinking on no other, worship Me — to them, ever steadfast, I bring attainment of what they lack and preservation of what they have.

6.31.23 Even those devotees of other gods who sacrifice endowed with faith — they too sacrifice to Me alone, O son of Kuntī, though not according to the prescribed rite.

6.31.24 For I am the enjoyer and the lord of all sacrifices; but men do not truly know me, and therefore they fall away.

6.31.25 Those vowed to the gods go to the gods; those vowed to the ancestors go to the ancestors; the worshippers of spirits go to the spirits; but those who sacrifice to me come to me.

6.31.26 Whoever offers me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water—that offering, presented with devotion by the pure of heart, I accept and partake of.

6.31.27 Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you perform—do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to me.

6.31.28 Thus you shall be freed from the bonds of action that bear fruits good and ill; with your self yoked to the discipline of renunciation, liberated, you shall come to me.

6.31.29 I am the same toward all beings; to me none is hateful and none is dear. But those who worship me with devotion are in me, and I too am in them.

6.31.30 Even if a man of the most evil conduct worships me with undivided devotion, he is to be reckoned righteous, for he has rightly resolved.

6.31.31 Swiftly he becomes righteous of soul and attains lasting peace. Know this for certain, O son of Kuntī: my devotee never perishes.

6.31.32 For taking refuge in me, O Pārtha, even those of sinful birth—women, vaiśyas, and śūdras alike—they too attain the supreme goal.

6.31.33 How much more, then, the holy brāhmaṇas and devout royal sages! Having come into this impermanent and joyless world, worship me.

6.31.34 Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, sacrifice to me, bow down to me; having thus yoked your self with me as your highest goal, you shall come to me alone.

6.32.1 The Blessed Lord said: Once more, O mighty-armed, hear my supreme word, which I shall speak to you, who delight in me, out of desire for your good.

6.32.2 Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know my origin, for I am in every way the source of the gods and the great sages.

6.32.3 Whoever knows me as unborn and without beginning, the great lord of the worlds, he, undeluded among mortals, is freed from all sins.

6.32.4 Understanding, knowledge, freedom from delusion, patience, truth, self-restraint, tranquility, pleasure, pain, being, non-being, fear, and fearlessness—

6.32.5 non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy—these manifold states of beings arise from me alone.

6.32.6 The seven great sages of old, and likewise the four Manus, sharing in my nature, were born of my mind; from them came these creatures of the world.

6.32.7 Whoever truly knows this manifest power and the yoga of mine is united with me through unshakable yoga; of this there is no doubt.

6.32.8 I am the source of all; from me everything proceeds. Knowing this, the wise, endowed with feeling, worship me.

6.32.9 With their thoughts fixed on me, their lives surrendered to me, enlightening one another and ever speaking of me, they are content and they rejoice.

6.32.10 To those who are ever steadfast and worship me with love, I grant that yoga of understanding by which they come to me.

6.32.11 Out of compassion for them alone, dwelling within their being, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.

6.32.12 Arjuna said: You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier; the eternal, divine Spirit, the primal god, unborn and all-pervading.

6.32.13 So all the seers proclaim you—the divine sage Nārada, and Asita Devala, and Vyāsa; and you yourself declare it to me.

6.32.14 All that you tell me I hold to be true, O Keśava; for neither the gods nor the dānavas know your manifestation, O Blessed One.

6.32.15 You alone know yourself by yourself, O supreme Spirit, source of beings, lord of beings, god of gods, master of the world.

6.32.16 You alone are fit to declare in full your divine self-manifestations, by which manifest powers you stand pervading these worlds.

6.32.17 How may I know you, O master of yoga, by meditating on you constantly? In what various forms, O Blessed One, are you to be contemplated by me?

6.32.18 Tell me again in detail of your yoga and your manifest power, O Janārdana; for as I listen there is no satiety in me for this nectar.

6.32.19 The Blessed Lord said: Come, I shall declare to you my divine self-manifestations—but only the chief of them, O best of the Kurus, for there is no end to my extent.

6.32.20 I am the Self, O Guḍākeśa, seated in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and the very end of all beings.

6.32.21 Among the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu; among lights, the radiant sun; among the Maruts I am Marīci; among the lunar mansions I am the moon.

6.32.22 Among the Vedas I am the Sāmaveda; among the gods I am Vāsava; among the senses I am the mind; in beings I am consciousness.

6.32.23 Among the Rudras I am Śaṃkara; among the yakṣas and rākṣasas, the lord of wealth; among the Vasus I am fire; among the peaks I am Meru.

6.32.24 Among priests know me to be their chief, Bṛhaspati, O Pārtha; among commanders of armies I am Skanda; among waters I am the ocean.

6.32.25 Among the great sages I am Bhṛgu; among utterances I am the single syllable Oṃ; among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of muttered prayer; among the immovable, the Himālaya.

6.32.26 Among all trees I am the aśvattha; among the divine sages, Nārada; among the gandharvas, Citraratha; among the perfected ones, the sage Kapila.

6.32.27 Among horses know me to be Uccaiḥśravas, born of the nectar; among lordly elephants, Airāvata; and among men, the king.

6.32.28 Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am Kāmadhuk, the wish-granting cow; I am Kandarpa, the begetter; among serpents I am Vāsuki.

6.32.29 Among the nāgas I am Ananta; among the dwellers in the waters I am Varuṇa; among the ancestors I am Aryaman; among those who govern I am Yama.

6.32.30 Among the daityas I am Prahlāda; among reckoners I am Time; among beasts I am the king of beasts, the lion; and among birds I am Vainateya, Garuḍa.

6.32.31 Among purifiers I am the wind; among bearers of weapons I am Rāma; among fishes I am the makara; among flowing rivers I am the Jāhnavī, the Gaṅgā.

6.32.32 Of creations I am the beginning, the end, and the middle as well, O Arjuna; among sciences I am the science of the supreme Self; among those who debate, I am their reasoned argument.

6.32.33 Among letters I am the letter A; among compounds I am the copulative dvandva. I alone am imperishable Time; I am the Sustainer facing in every direction.

6.32.34 I am all-seizing Death, and the origin of things yet to be; and among feminine powers I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, constancy, and patience.

6.32.35 Among the Sāman hymns I am the Bṛhatsāman; among meters I am the Gāyatrī; among months I am Mārgaśīrṣa; among seasons I am the flower-bearing spring.

6.32.36 Among the deceitful I am the gambling of dice; I am the splendor of the splendid; I am victory, I am resolve; I am the goodness of the good.

6.32.37 Among the Vṛṣṇis I am Vāsudeva; among the Pāṇḍavas, Dhanaṃjaya; among sages I am Vyāsa; among seers I am Uśanā the poet.

6.32.38 Among those who chastise I am the rod; among those who seek victory I am statecraft; among secret things I am silence; and I am the wisdom of the wise.

6.32.39 And whatever is the seed of all beings, that too am I, O Arjuna; there is no being, moving or unmoving, that could exist apart from me.

6.32.40 There is no end to my divine manifestations, O scorcher of foes; what I have declared of the extent of my power is but by way of illustration.

6.32.41 Whatever being possesses power, beauty, or might, know that each has sprung from a fragment of my splendor.

6.32.42 But what need have you, O Arjuna, to know all this in detail? With a single fragment of myself I stand supporting this entire world.

6.33.1 Arjuna said: By the supreme and secret word concerning the Self, which out of grace toward me you have spoken, this delusion of mine has been dispelled.

6.33.2 For the arising and the passing away of beings I have heard from you in full, O lotus-eyed one, and your imperishable majesty as well.

6.33.3 Even as you have declared yourself to be, O supreme Lord, so it is. Yet I long to behold your sovereign form, O supreme Spirit.

6.33.4 If you think it possible for me to behold it, O Lord, then, O master of yoga, show me your imperishable Self.

6.33.5 The Blessed Lord said: Behold my forms, O Pārtha, by the hundreds and by the thousands—manifold and divine, of many colors and many shapes.

6.33.6 Behold the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Aśvins, and the Maruts; behold, O descendant of Bharata, many marvels never seen before.

6.33.7 Here, gathered together in one place within my body, behold now the whole world, with all that moves and is unmoving, O Guḍākeśa, and whatever else you wish to see.

6.33.8 But you cannot behold me with this eye of your own; I give you a divine eye—behold my sovereign yoga.

6.33.9 Saṃjaya said: Having spoken thus, O king, Hari, the great lord of yoga, then revealed to Pārtha his supreme sovereign form—

6.33.10 with many mouths and eyes, with many wondrous aspects, with many divine ornaments, with many divine weapons raised on high;

6.33.11 wearing divine garlands and raiment, anointed with divine fragrances—the all-marvelous god, infinite, facing in every direction.

6.33.12 If the light of a thousand suns were to blaze forth all at once in the sky, that might resemble the splendor of that great-souled one.

6.33.13 There, gathered together in one place yet divided in manifold ways, the son of Pāṇḍu then beheld the whole world within the body of the god of gods.

6.33.14 Then Dhanaṃjaya, seized with wonder and his hair standing on end, bowing his head to the god with joined palms, spoke:

6.33.15 Arjuna said: I behold within your body, O god, the gods and all the assembled hosts of beings—Brahmā the lord seated upon his lotus throne, and all the seers and the divine serpents.

6.33.16 With many arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes I behold you, infinite of form on every side. I see in you no end, no middle, nor any beginning, O lord of all, O form of all.

6.33.17 Crowned with a diadem, bearing mace and discus, a mass of radiance blazing on every side—I behold you, hard to gaze upon all around, with the brilliance of blazing fire and sun, immeasurable.

6.33.18 You are the supreme Imperishable, the one to be known; you are the highest resting-place of this universe; you are the changeless guardian of the eternal dharma; you are the everlasting Spirit, so I deem you.

6.33.19 Without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, with countless arms, the moon and sun your eyes—I behold you, your mouth a blazing sacrificial fire, scorching this universe with your own splendor.

6.33.20 This space between heaven and earth, and all the quarters, are pervaded by you alone. Seeing this wondrous and terrible form of yours, the three worlds tremble in anguish, O great-souled one.

6.33.21 Yonder hosts of gods enter into you; some, afraid, with joined palms extol you. Crying "Hail!" the throngs of great sages and perfected ones praise you with abundant hymns of praise.

6.33.22 The Rudras, the Ādityas, the Vasus, and the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvins, the Maruts, and the drinkers of vapor, the hosts of gandharvas, yakṣas, asuras, and siddhas—all gaze upon you, and all are amazed.

6.33.23 Beholding your mighty form of many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed, of many arms, thighs, and feet, of many bellies, terrible with many fangs, the worlds tremble in anguish, and so do I.

6.33.24 Touching the sky, ablaze, of many hues, with gaping mouths and vast blazing eyes—seeing you thus, my inmost self trembles, and I find neither steadiness nor peace, O Viṣṇu.

6.33.25 Seeing your mouths, terrible with fangs and resembling the fire of universal dissolution, I know not the quarters of the sky, and I find no refuge. Be gracious, O lord of gods, O dwelling-place of the world.

6.33.26 And yonder, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, all of them, together with the hosts of kings—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and that son of the charioteer too—along with our own foremost warriors as well,

6.33.27 hastening, they enter your mouths, terrible with fangs and dreadful; some are seen clinging between your teeth, their heads ground to powder.

6.33.28 As the many torrents of the rivers race straight toward the sea, so do these heroes of the world of men enter your blazing mouths.

6.33.29 As moths in headlong speed plunge into a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these peoples plunge into your mouths in headlong speed, to their destruction.

6.33.30 Devouring on every side, you lick up all the worlds with your flaming mouths; filling the whole universe with radiance, your terrible splendors scorch it, O Viṣṇu.

6.33.31 Tell me who you are, you of terrible form. Homage to you, O best of gods; be gracious. I long to know you, the Primal One, for I do not comprehend your working.

6.33.32 The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, grown mighty, the destroyer of the worlds, set in motion here to annihilate the worlds. Even without you, all these warriors arrayed in the opposing ranks shall cease to be.

6.33.33 Therefore rise up and win glory; conquer your foes and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. By me alone are these already slain; be you merely the instrument, O Savyasācin.

6.33.34 Droṇa and Bhīṣma and Jayadratha, and Karṇa, and the other warrior-heroes as well — slay them, already slain by me. Do not falter. Fight! You shall conquer your rivals in battle.

6.33.35 Saṃjaya said: Hearing this speech of Keśava, the Diademed One, trembling, his palms joined, made obeisance, and bowing low spoke once more to Kṛṣṇa in a faltering voice, sore afraid.

6.33.36 Arjuna said: Rightly, O Hṛṣīkeśa, does the world rejoice and take delight in your glory; the rākṣasas flee in terror to every quarter, and all the hosts of the siddhas bow before you.

6.33.37 And why should they not bow to you, O great-souled one, greater even than Brahmā, the first creator? O infinite Lord of gods, abode of the universe, you are the Imperishable, the existent, the non-existent, and what lies beyond both.

6.33.38 You are the primal God, the ancient Spirit; you are the supreme resting-place of this universe. You are the knower and the known, the highest abode; by you the universe is pervaded, O you of infinite form.

6.33.39 You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the moon, Prajāpati, and the great-grandsire. Homage, homage to you a thousandfold, and again and yet again, homage, homage to you!

6.33.40 Homage to you from before and from behind; homage to you on every side, O All. Of infinite valor and boundless might, you encompass all things, and therefore you are all.

6.33.41 Whatever I said rashly, thinking you but a friend — 'Hey Kṛṣṇa! Hey Yādava! Hey friend!' — in ignorance of this your majesty, through heedlessness or through affection,

6.33.42 and however, for jest's sake, I slighted you at play, in bed, while seated, or at meals, whether alone or before others, O Acyuta — for that I beg your pardon, O immeasurable one.

6.33.43 You are the father of the world, of all that moves and is still; you are its object of worship, its venerable teacher. There is none equal to you — how then could there be another greater? — in the three worlds, O you of incomparable power.

6.33.44 Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I implore your grace, O Lord, worthy of praise. As a father bears with a son, a friend with a friend, a lover with his beloved, so should you bear with me, O God.

6.33.45 I am thrilled to have seen what was never seen before, yet my mind is shaken with fear. Show me, O God, that other form of yours; be gracious, O Lord of gods, abode of the universe.

6.33.46 I long to see you just as before, crowned with the diadem, bearing the mace and the discus in your hand. Take on once more that four-armed form, O thousand-armed one, O you whose body is the universe.

6.33.47 The Blessed Lord said: By my grace, O Arjuna, and through my own power, this supreme form of mine has been shown to you — full of light, universal, infinite, primal — which none but you has ever beheld.

6.33.48 Not by study of the Vedas and sacrifices, not by gifts, not by rites, not by fierce austerities, can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than you, O foremost of the Kurus.

6.33.49 Let there be no fear in you, no bewilderment, at beholding this dread form of mine. Free from fear, glad of heart, behold once more this very form of mine.

6.33.50 Saṃjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vāsudeva revealed again his own form, and the great-souled one, becoming once more gentle of aspect, comforted him in his terror.

6.33.51 Arjuna said: Beholding this gentle human form of yours, O Janārdana, I am now composed, my mind restored, returned to my natural state.

6.33.52 The Blessed Lord said: This form of mine that you have seen is very hard to behold; even the gods forever long for the sight of this form.

6.33.53 Not by the Vedas, not by austerity, not by almsgiving, nor by sacrifice, can I be seen in such a form as you have seen me.

6.33.54 But by undivided devotion, O Arjuna, can I in this form be known and truly seen and entered into, O scorcher of foes.

6.33.55 He who does my work, who holds me supreme, who is devoted to me, freed from attachment, without enmity toward any being — he comes to me, O Pāṇḍava.

6.34.1 Arjuna said: Those devotees who, ever steadfast, thus worship you, and those who worship the Imperishable, the Unmanifest — which of these are the better versed in yoga?

6.34.2 The Blessed Lord said: Those who fix their minds on me and, ever steadfast, worship me, endowed with supreme faith — these I deem the most perfect in yoga.

6.34.3 But those who worship the Imperishable, the indefinable, the Unmanifest, the all-pervading and unthinkable, the changeless, the immovable, the eternal,

6.34.4 restraining the whole host of the senses, even-minded toward all, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings — they too attain me.

6.34.5 Greater is the toil of those whose minds are fixed upon the Unmanifest; for the goal of the Unmanifest is hard for the embodied to reach.

6.34.6 But those who, renouncing all their actions in me and holding me supreme, worship me, meditating on me with undivided yoga —

6.34.7 of these, whose thought is set on me, I become ere long the deliverer from the ocean of death-bound transmigration, O Pārtha.

6.34.8 Fix your mind on me alone, let your understanding rest in me; thereafter you shall dwell in me alone — of this there is no doubt.

6.34.9 But if you cannot fix your thought steadily upon me, then seek to reach me through the yoga of repeated practice, O Dhanaṃjaya.

6.34.10 If you are unable even in practice, be intent on works done for my sake; doing your deeds for my sake, you shall attain perfection.

6.34.11 And if you are unable to do even this, then, taking refuge in union with me, renounce the fruit of all action, with the self subdued.

6.34.12 For knowledge is better than practice, and meditation surpasses knowledge, and the renunciation of the fruit of action is better than meditation; from renunciation peace follows at once.

6.34.13 He who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from the sense of 'mine' and from egoism, the same in pain and pleasure, forbearing,

6.34.14 ever content, the yogin, self-controlled, of firm resolve, his mind and understanding offered up to me — such a devotee of mine is dear to me.

6.34.15 He from whom the world does not shrink, and who does not shrink from the world, who is freed from elation, impatience, fear, and agitation — he too is dear to me.

6.34.16 Free from expectation, pure, capable, indifferent, untroubled, renouncing every undertaking — such a devotee of mine is dear to me.

6.34.17 He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who has renounced both the fair and the foul, and is full of devotion — he is dear to me.

6.34.18 The same to foe and to friend, the same in honor and dishonor, the same in cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, freed from attachment,

6.34.19 alike in blame and praise, silent, content with whatever comes, with no fixed abode, steadfast in mind, full of devotion — that man is dear to me.

6.34.20 But those who honor this nectar of dharma as it has been declared, full of faith, holding me supreme — those devotees are exceedingly dear to me.

6.35.1 The Blessed Lord said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field; and him who knows it, those who know such things call the knower of the field.

6.35.2 Know me too as the knower of the field in all fields, O Bhārata. The knowledge of the field and its knower — that I hold to be true knowledge.

6.35.3 What that field is, and of what nature, and with what modifications, and whence it arises; and who he is, and what his powers — hear this from me in brief.

6.35.4 It has been sung in many ways by the seers, severally in the diverse Vedic hymns, and also in the words of the aphorisms on Brahman, reasoned and well-determined.

6.35.5 The great elements, egoism, the intellect, and the Unmanifest; the eleven senses, and the five objects of the senses;

6.35.6 desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, the aggregate, consciousness, steadfastness — this, in brief, is the field declared together with its modifications.

6.35.7 Humility, freedom from pretense, non-violence, forbearance, uprightness, service to one's teacher, purity, steadiness, self-restraint;

6.35.8 dispassion toward the objects of sense, and absence of egoism; insight into the evil of birth, death, old age, sickness, and pain;

6.35.9 non-attachment, freedom from clinging to son, wife, home, and the rest; and constant evenness of mind amid the befalling of the desired and the undesired;

6.35.10 unswerving devotion to me through undivided yoga, resort to solitary places, and distaste for the throng of people;

6.35.11 constancy in the knowledge of the Self, and insight into the goal of the knowledge of truth — this is declared to be knowledge; and ignorance is whatever differs from this.

6.35.12 I shall now declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality: the supreme Brahman, without beginning, of which it is said neither that it is existent nor non-existent.

6.35.13 With hands and feet on every side, with eyes, heads, and faces on every side, with ears on every side, it stands enveloping all things in the world.

6.35.14 Shining through the functions of all the senses, yet devoid of all the senses; unattached, yet the support of all; free from the strands of nature, yet their enjoyer.

6.35.15 Without and within all beings, unmoving yet moving; by reason of its subtlety it is unknowable, and it is far off and yet near.

6.35.16 Undivided, yet abiding as though divided among beings; that which is to be known is the sustainer of beings, their devourer, and their creator.

6.35.17 It is the light even of lights, said to be beyond all darkness; it is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge, seated in the heart of all.

6.35.18 Thus the field, and likewise knowledge, and that which is to be known, have been told in brief. My devotee, understanding this, attains to my being.

6.35.19 Know that both Nature and the Spirit are without beginning; and know that the modifications and the strands of nature arise from Nature.

6.35.20 In the production of effect and cause and agency, Nature is said to be the cause; the Spirit is said to be the cause in the experiencing of pleasures and pains.

6.35.21 For the Spirit, seated in Nature, experiences the strands born of Nature; attachment to the strands is the cause of its births in good and evil wombs.

6.35.22 The witness, the consenter, the sustainer, the enjoyer, the Great Lord, and also called the Supreme Self — such is the supreme Spirit within this body.

6.35.23 He who thus knows the Spirit and Nature together with its strands, in whatever state he may live, is not born again.

6.35.24 By meditation some behold the Self in the self by the self; others by the yoga of knowledge, and yet others by the yoga of action.

6.35.25 But others, not knowing thus, worship having heard it from others; they too, devoted to what they have heard, cross beyond death.

6.35.26 Whatever being comes into existence, whether unmoving or moving, know that it arises from the union of the field and the knower of the field, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.35.27 He who sees the Supreme Lord abiding alike in all beings, the imperishable amid the perishing — he truly sees.

6.35.28 For seeing the Lord present alike everywhere, he does not destroy the Self by the self, and thereby he attains the supreme goal.

6.35.29 He who sees that actions are in every way performed by Nature alone, and the Self as the non-doer — he truly sees.

6.35.30 When he perceives the separate existence of beings as resting in the One, and their expansion from that alone, then he attains to Brahman.

6.35.31 Being beginningless and free from the strands of nature, this imperishable Supreme Self, though dwelling in the body, O son of Kuntī, neither acts nor is tainted.

6.35.32 As the all-pervading ether, by reason of its subtlety, is never tainted, so the Self, abiding everywhere in the body, is never tainted.

6.35.33 As the single sun illumines this whole world, so does the Field-knower illumine the entire Field, O Bhārata.

6.35.34 Those who thus discern, with the eye of knowledge, the difference between the Field and the Field-knower, and the release of beings from material nature—they attain the Supreme.

6.36.1 The Blessed Lord said: Once more I shall declare the supreme knowledge, the highest of all knowings, by knowing which all the sages have passed from here to the highest perfection.

6.36.2 Having taken refuge in this knowledge and come to share in My own nature, they are not born again even at a new creation, nor are they disturbed at the dissolution.

6.36.3 My womb is the great Brahman; in it I cast the seed. From that, O Bhārata, comes the birth of all beings.

6.36.4 Whatever forms take birth in all the wombs, O son of Kuntī, the great Brahman is their womb, and I am the seed-giving father.

6.36.5 Goodness, passion, and darkness—these are the qualities born of material nature, O mighty-armed; they bind the imperishable embodied one within the body.

6.36.6 Of these, goodness, being pure, is luminous and free from ill; it binds, O sinless one, through attachment to happiness and through attachment to knowledge.

6.36.7 Know passion to be of the nature of craving, arising from thirst and attachment; it binds the embodied one, O son of Kuntī, through attachment to action.

6.36.8 But darkness, know, is born of ignorance and deludes all embodied beings; it binds, O Bhārata, through heedlessness, sloth, and sleep.

6.36.9 Goodness binds one to happiness, O Bhārata, and passion to action; but darkness, veiling knowledge, binds one to heedlessness.

6.36.10 Goodness prevails by overpowering passion and darkness, O Bhārata; and passion overpowers goodness and darkness, while darkness overpowers goodness and passion.

6.36.11 When through all the gates of this body the light of knowledge arises, then one should know that goodness has grown strong.

6.36.12 Greed, activity, the undertaking of works, restlessness, and longing—these arise when passion has grown strong, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.36.13 Darkness, inertia, heedlessness, and delusion—these arise when darkness has grown strong, O joy of the Kurus.

6.36.14 When the embodied one meets dissolution while goodness is strong, he then attains the spotless worlds of those who know the highest.

6.36.15 Meeting dissolution in passion, one is born among those attached to action; and dissolving in darkness, one is born in the wombs of the deluded.

6.36.16 They say the fruit of good action is of the nature of goodness, pure; but the fruit of passion is suffering, and the fruit of darkness is ignorance.

6.36.17 From goodness arises knowledge, and from passion greed; from darkness arise heedlessness, delusion, and ignorance.

6.36.18 Those established in goodness go upward; the passionate remain in the middle; and those who dwell in the workings of the lowest quality, the darkened, go downward.

6.36.19 When the seer perceives no agent other than the qualities, and knows that which is beyond the qualities, he attains to My being.

6.36.20 Transcending these three qualities that spring from the body, the embodied one, freed from birth, death, old age, and sorrow, attains immortality.

6.36.21 Arjuna said: By what marks is one known who has transcended these three qualities, O Lord? What is his conduct, and how does he pass beyond these three qualities?

6.36.22 The Blessed Lord said: He who hates not illumination, activity, or delusion when they arise, O Pāṇḍava, nor longs for them when they cease;

6.36.23 who, seated as though indifferent, is not disturbed by the qualities; who, thinking only "the qualities are at work," stands firm and does not waver;

6.36.24 who is alike in sorrow and joy, self-poised, regarding clod, stone, and gold as equal; who is steadfast, the same toward the dear and the unwelcome, the same in blame and in praise of himself;

6.36.25 the same in honor and dishonor, the same toward the side of friend and of foe, renouncing all undertakings—he is said to have transcended the qualities.

6.36.26 And he who serves Me with unswerving devotion in yoga—he, transcending these qualities, is fit to become Brahman.

6.36.27 For I am the ground of Brahman, of the immortal and imperishable, of the eternal dharma, and of absolute bliss.

6.37.1 The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an imperishable aśvattha tree, with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

6.37.2 Its branches stretch below and above, nourished by the qualities, with sense-objects as their twigs; and below, its roots reach onward, binding to action in the world of men.

6.37.3 Its form is not perceived here as it truly is—it has no end, no beginning, no foundation. Having cut down this aśvattha with its firmly grown roots, by the strong axe of detachment,

6.37.4 then that goal is to be sought, gaining which one returns no more: "I take refuge in that primal Person from whom the ancient streaming-forth has flowed."

6.37.5 Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the fault of attachment, ever devoted to the supreme Self, with desires stilled, released from the dualities known as pleasure and pain—the undeluded go to that imperishable goal.

6.37.6 Neither sun nor moon nor fire illumines that, gaining which they return no more—that is My supreme abode.

6.37.7 An eternal portion of My very Self, become a living soul in the world of the living, draws to itself the senses, with mind as the sixth, that abide in material nature.

6.37.8 When the lord of the body takes on a body, and again when he departs from it, he takes these along and moves on, as the wind bears scents from their source.

6.37.9 Presiding over hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell, and over the mind as well, this one enjoys the objects of the senses.

6.37.10 Whether departing, abiding, or enjoying, accompanied by the qualities, the deluded do not perceive him; but those with the eye of knowledge perceive him.

6.37.11 The yogins, striving, behold him established in the self; but the unrefined of soul, the mindless, though they strive, do not behold him.

6.37.12 The radiance that resides in the sun and illumines the whole world, and that which is in the moon and in fire—know that radiance to be Mine.

6.37.13 Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by My energy; and becoming the sap-filled Soma, I nourish all the plants.

6.37.14 Becoming the fire Vaiśvānara, I dwell in the bodies of living creatures and, joined with the in-breath and out-breath, I digest the four kinds of food.

6.37.15 And I am seated in the heart of all; from Me come memory, knowledge, and their loss. By all the Vedas I alone am to be known; I am the author of Vedānta and the knower of the Vedas.

6.37.16 There are these two persons in the world, the perishable and the imperishable. The perishable is all beings; the unchanging is called the imperishable.

6.37.17 But the Supreme Person is another, declared to be the highest Self, who, entering the three worlds, sustains them—the imperishable Lord.

6.37.18 Since I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, therefore in the world and in the Veda I am renowned as the Supreme Person.

6.37.19 He who, undeluded, knows Me thus as the Supreme Person—he, knowing all, worships Me with his whole being, O Bhārata.

6.37.20 Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by Me, O sinless one. Awakening to this, a man becomes wise and has accomplished all there is to do, O Bhārata.

6.38.1 The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, self-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, and uprightness;

6.38.2 non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation, peace, freedom from slander, compassion toward beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, and steadiness;

6.38.3 vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice, and freedom from overweening pride—these belong, O Bhārata, to one born to the divine endowment.

6.38.4 Hypocrisy, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, and ignorance—these belong, O Pārtha, to one born to the demonic endowment.

6.38.5 The divine endowment is held to lead to liberation, the demonic to bondage. Grieve not, O Pāṇḍava; you are born to the divine endowment.

6.38.6 There are two orders of created beings in this world, the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length; now hear from Me, O Pārtha, of the demonic.

6.38.7 Demonic men know neither action nor abstention from action; in them there is found neither purity nor good conduct nor truth.

6.38.8 They say the world is without truth, without foundation, without a Lord, brought into being by no orderly mutual cause—what else but born of desire?

6.38.9 Holding fast to this view, ruined in soul and feeble in understanding, they rise up as enemies of the world, doers of fierce deeds, bent on its destruction.

6.38.10 Clinging to insatiable desire, filled with hypocrisy, conceit, and pride, having seized through delusion upon false notions, they act with impure resolves.

6.38.11 Beset by measureless cares that end only with death, devoted to the enjoyment of desires as the highest aim, convinced that this is all there is;

6.38.12 bound by a hundred cords of hope, given over to desire and anger, they strive to amass wealth by unjust means for the sake of sensual enjoyment.

6.38.13 "This I have gained today; this longing of my heart I shall attain; this is mine, and this wealth too shall be mine hereafter."

6.38.14 "That foe I have slain, and others too I shall slay. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I am successful, mighty, and happy."

6.38.15 "I am rich and high-born; who else is equal to me? I shall sacrifice, I shall give, I shall rejoice"—thus deluded by ignorance,

6.38.16 bewildered by many thoughts, enmeshed in the net of delusion, addicted to the enjoyment of desires, they fall into a foul hell.

6.38.17 Self-conceited, unbending, filled with the pride and intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices that are sacrifices in name only, with hypocrisy and without due rite.

6.38.18 Given over to egotism, force, arrogance, desire, and anger, these spiteful men hate Me, who dwell within their own bodies and the bodies of others.

6.38.19 These haters, cruel and vile among men, the most degraded, I hurl ceaselessly, those evil ones, into demonic wombs amid the rounds of rebirth.

6.38.20 Fallen into demonic wombs, deluded birth after birth, never reaching Me, O son of Kuntī, they thence go to the lowest course.

6.38.21 Threefold is this gate of hell, the ruin of the self—desire, anger, and greed; therefore one should abandon these three.

6.38.22 Released from these three gates of darkness, O son of Kuntī, a man works for the good of his soul and thence goes to the supreme course.

6.38.23 He who, casting aside the ordinance of scripture, acts under the impulse of desire attains neither perfection nor happiness nor the supreme course.

6.38.24 Therefore let scripture be your authority in determining what is to be done and what is not; knowing what is declared by the ordinance of scripture, you should act here in this world.

6.39.1 Arjuna said: Those who, casting aside the ordinance of scripture, yet sacrifice filled with faith—what is their standing, O Kṛṣṇa? Is it goodness, passion, or darkness?

6.39.2 The Blessed Lord said: The faith of embodied beings is of three kinds, born of their own nature—of goodness, of passion, and of darkness. Hear of it.

6.39.3 The faith of each is in accord with his nature, O Bhārata. Man is made of his faith; as his faith is, so is he.

6.39.4 Those of goodness worship the gods; those of passion worship the yakṣas and rākṣasas; and the others, men of darkness, worship the departed and the hordes of spirits.

6.39.5 Those men who practice grim austerity not ordained by scripture, joined to hypocrisy and egotism, driven by the force of desire and passion,

6.39.6 torturing, in their senselessness, the host of elements within the body, and Me too who dwell within the body—know them to be of demonic resolve.

6.39.7 The food, too, that is dear to each is of three kinds, and so are sacrifice, austerity, and giving. Hear now of their distinction.

6.39.8 Foods that promote length of life, vitality, strength, health, ease, and delight, that are savory, smooth, substantial, and gladdening to the heart — such are dear to those of sāttvika nature.

6.39.9 Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, exceedingly hot, pungent, harsh, and burning are sought by the man of rajas; they bring pain, sorrow, and disease.

6.39.10 Food that is stale, drained of its savor, putrid, kept overnight, the leavings of others, and unfit for offering — such is dear to the man of tamas.

6.39.11 That sacrifice which is offered according to the ordinance by those who crave no fruit, the mind being settled in the thought 'this is to be sacrificed and nothing more' — that sacrifice is sāttvika.

6.39.12 But that sacrifice which is offered with an eye to its fruit, and likewise for the sake of display — know that sacrifice, O best of the Bhāratas, to be rājasa.

6.39.13 A sacrifice devoid of ordinance, with no food distributed, lacking the sacred verses, without priestly gifts, and destitute of faith — that they declare to be tāmasa.

6.39.14 Reverence shown to the gods, the twice-born, teachers, and the wise; purity, uprightness, continence, and non-injury — this is called austerity of the body.

6.39.15 Speech that causes no agitation, that is truthful, pleasant, and beneficial, together with the constant practice of sacred recitation — this is called austerity of speech.

6.39.16 Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity of disposition — this is called austerity of the mind.

6.39.17 This threefold austerity, practiced with the highest faith by disciplined men who crave no fruit, is declared to be sāttvika.

6.39.18 That austerity which is performed for the sake of respect, honor, and reverence, and out of ostentation, is here declared rājasa — unsteady and impermanent.

6.39.19 That austerity which is performed through a deluded notion, with self-torture, or for the purpose of ruining another, is declared to be tāmasa.

6.39.20 That gift which is given with the thought 'it ought to be given,' to one who can make no return, in a fit place and time and to a worthy recipient — that gift is held to be sāttvika.

6.39.21 But that gift which is given for the sake of a return, or with an eye to its fruit, or grudgingly — that gift is held to be rājasa.

6.39.22 That gift which is given in the wrong place and time and to unworthy persons, without due respect and with contempt, is declared to be tāmasa.

6.39.23 'Oṃ Tat Sat' — this is held to be the threefold designation of Brahman; by it of old were ordained the brāhmaṇas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices.

6.39.24 Therefore, with the utterance of 'Oṃ,' the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity prescribed by ordinance ever proceed among those who expound Brahman.

6.39.25 With the word 'Tat,' and without aiming at any fruit, the various acts of sacrifice and austerity and the acts of giving are performed by those who seek release (mokṣa).

6.39.26 In the sense of 'reality' and of 'goodness' the word 'Sat' is employed; and likewise, O Pārtha, the word 'Sat' is applied to an auspicious deed.

6.39.27 Steadfastness in sacrifice, in austerity, and in giving is called 'Sat'; and an action done for the sake of That is likewise designated 'Sat.'

6.39.28 Whatever is offered, given, or undertaken as austerity, and whatever is done without faith, is called 'Asat,' O Pārtha; it avails nothing hereafter, nor here.

6.40.1 Arjuna said: I wish to know, O mighty-armed one, the truth of renunciation (saṃnyāsa) and likewise, distinctly, of relinquishment (tyāga), O Hṛṣīkeśa, O slayer of Keśin.

6.40.2 The Blessed Lord said: The seers understand by renunciation the laying aside of acts done from desire; the discerning declare the relinquishment of the fruit of all actions to be relinquishment.

6.40.3 Some thoughtful men declare that action is to be relinquished as a thing of evil; others, that acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity are not to be relinquished.

6.40.4 Hear my conclusion on this matter of relinquishment, O best of the Bhāratas; for relinquishment, O tiger among men, is declared to be of three kinds.

6.40.5 Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity are not to be relinquished; they must indeed be performed. Sacrifice, gift, and austerity are purifiers of the thoughtful.

6.40.6 Yet even these actions are to be performed having abandoned attachment and their fruits — this, O Pārtha, is my settled and supreme conviction.

6.40.7 But the renunciation of a prescribed action is not fitting; its abandonment through delusion is declared to be tāmasa.

6.40.8 He who relinquishes an action merely because it is painful, from fear of bodily affliction, makes a rājasa relinquishment, and gains none of the fruit of relinquishment.

6.40.9 When a prescribed action is performed simply because it ought to be done, O Arjuna, having abandoned attachment and the fruit as well — that relinquishment is held to be sāttvika.

6.40.10 He does not loathe disagreeable work, nor cling to agreeable work — the relinquisher, suffused with sattva, wise, and his doubts cut away.

6.40.11 For it is not possible for an embodied being to relinquish actions entirely; but he who relinquishes the fruit of action is called a relinquisher.

6.40.12 The fruit of action is of three kinds — unwished, wished, and mixed — and it accrues after death to those who have not relinquished, but never to the renouncers.

6.40.13 Learn from me, O mighty-armed one, these five causes, declared in the Sāṃkhya doctrine that brings actions to their end, for the accomplishment of all works.

6.40.14 The seat of action, likewise the agent, and the instruments of various kinds, the manifold and distinct exertions, and divine providence as the fifth among them.

6.40.15 Whatever action a man undertakes with body, speech, or mind, be it right or wrong, these five are its causes.

6.40.16 This being so, he who, through an untrained understanding, looks upon the self alone as the agent — that man of perverse mind does not truly see.

6.40.17 He whose disposition is free of the sense of 'I,' whose understanding is not stained — even though he slay these worlds, he slays not, nor is he bound.

6.40.18 Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower — this is the threefold impulse to action; the instrument, the act, and the agent — this is the threefold sum of action.

6.40.19 Knowledge, action, and the agent are each declared to be of three kinds according to the distinction of the guṇas; hear of these too, duly, in the enumeration of the qualities.

6.40.20 That knowledge by which one beholds in all beings a single, imperishable Being, undivided amid the divided — know that knowledge to be sāttvika.

6.40.21 But that knowledge which, by reason of separateness, perceives in all beings manifold existences of distinct kinds — know that knowledge to be rājasa.

6.40.22 But that which clings to a single effect as though it were the whole, without reason, having no grasp of the real, and trifling — that is declared to be tāmasa.

6.40.23 An action that is prescribed, free of attachment, done without passion or aversion by one who seeks no fruit — that is called sāttvika.

6.40.24 But that action which is performed by one seeking to gratify desire, or again with the sense of 'I,' and with great toil — that is declared to be rājasa.

6.40.25 That action which is undertaken through delusion, with no regard for its consequence, for loss, for injury, or for one's own capacity — that is called tāmasa.

6.40.26 Free from attachment, not speaking of himself, endowed with steadfastness and zeal, unmoved in success and failure — such an agent is called sāttvika.

6.40.27 Passionate, eager for the fruit of action, greedy, of a violent nature, impure, swayed by joy and grief — such an agent is declared to be rājasa.

6.40.28 Undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, slothful, despondent, and procrastinating — such an agent is called tāmasa.

6.40.29 Hear now, O Dhanaṃjaya, the threefold distinction of understanding and of steadfastness according to the guṇas, set forth fully and severally.

6.40.30 That understanding which knows action and abstention, what is to be done and what is not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and release — that, O Pārtha, is sāttvika.

6.40.31 That understanding by which one discerns wrongly right and wrong, and what is to be done and what is not — that understanding, O Pārtha, is rājasa.

6.40.32 That understanding which, enveloped in darkness, deems wrong to be right and sees all things reversed — that, O Pārtha, is tāmasa.

6.40.33 That steadfastness by which, through unwavering yoga, one holds fast the workings of the mind, the breaths, and the senses — that, O Pārtha, is sāttvika.

6.40.34 But that steadfastness by which, O Arjuna, one clings to duty, pleasure, and wealth, craving their fruit with attachment — that, O Pārtha, is rājasa.

6.40.35 That steadfastness by which a dull-witted man does not let go of sleep, fear, grief, despondency, and conceit — that, O Pārtha, is tāmasa.

6.40.36 Now hear from me, O bull of the Bhāratas, of the threefold happiness — that in which one delights through practice and comes to the end of sorrow.

6.40.37 That which at first is like poison but in its ripening is like nectar — that happiness, born of the serenity of one's own understanding of the self, is declared sāttvika.

6.40.38 That which, born of the contact of the senses with their objects, is at first like nectar but in its ripening is like poison — that happiness is held to be rājasa.

6.40.39 That happiness which both at first and in its sequel deludes the self, arising from sleep, sloth, and heedlessness — that is declared to be tāmasa.

6.40.40 There is no being on earth, nor again in heaven among the gods, that could be free from these three guṇas born of Prakṛti.

6.40.41 The duties of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas, and of śūdras too, O scorcher of foes, are apportioned according to the guṇas that spring from their own nature.

6.40.42 Calm, self-control, austerity, purity, forbearance, and uprightness, knowledge, discernment, and faith in what is — these are the duties of the brāhmaṇa, born of his own nature.

6.40.43 Heroism, majesty, steadfastness, skill, and not fleeing in battle, generosity, and a lordly bearing — these are the duties of the kṣatriya, born of his own nature.

6.40.44 Tillage, the tending of cattle, and trade are the duties of the vaiśya, born of his own nature; and the śūdra's duty, born of his nature too, consists of service.

6.40.45 Devoted each to his own duty, a man attains perfection. Hear now how one intent on his own work finds that perfection.

6.40.46 That One from whom the activity of all beings springs, by whom all this is pervaded — worshiping Him through his own work, a man finds perfection.

6.40.47 Better one's own duty, though imperfect, than the duty of another well performed. Performing the work ordained by one's own nature, a man incurs no guilt.

6.40.48 One should not abandon, O son of Kuntī, the work to which one is born, even though it be flawed; for all undertakings are veiled by flaw, as fire by smoke.

6.40.49 He whose understanding is unattached everywhere, who has mastered himself and from whom longing has departed, attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of actionlessness.

6.40.50 Learn from me in brief, O son of Kuntī, how, having attained perfection, one reaches Brahman — that which is the highest consummation of knowledge.

6.40.51 Endowed with a purified understanding, restraining the self with steadfastness, abandoning the objects of sense beginning with sound, and casting away passion and aversion;

6.40.52 frequenting solitude, eating but little, with speech, body, and mind controlled, ever devoted to the yoga of meditation, taking refuge in dispassion;

6.40.53 having let go of egoism, force, arrogance, desire, anger, and possession, free from the sense of 'mine' and at peace — he becomes fit for oneness with Brahman.

6.40.54 Become Brahman, serene in self, he neither grieves nor craves; alike toward all beings, he gains supreme devotion to Me.

6.40.55 Through devotion he comes to know Me — how great I am and who I am in truth; then, having known Me in truth, he enters into Me forthwith.

6.40.56 Though ever performing all actions, taking refuge in Me, he attains by My grace the eternal, imperishable abode.

6.40.57 Renouncing in thought all actions unto Me, intent on Me, having recourse to the yoga of understanding, be ever fixed in thought upon Me.

6.40.58 With your thought on Me, by My grace you shall cross over all difficulties; but if from egoism you will not heed, you shall perish.

6.40.59 If, clinging to egoism, you think 'I will not fight,' vain is this resolve of yours; your own nature will compel you.

6.40.60 Bound, O son of Kuntī, by your own deeds born of your innate nature, that very thing which in delusion you wish not to do, you shall do even against your will.

6.40.61 The Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the heart-region of all beings, whirling all beings round by his māyā as though they were mounted upon a machine.

6.40.62 To him alone go for refuge with your whole being, O Bhārata; by his grace you shall attain the supreme peace and the eternal abode.

6.40.63 Thus has the knowledge, more secret than all that is secret, been declared to you by me. Ponder it fully, and then act as you will.

6.40.64 Hear again my supreme word, the most secret of all. Because you are dearly beloved by me, I shall now declare to you what is for your good.

6.40.65 Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, sacrifice to me, bow down to me. To me alone you shall come; truly I promise you this, for you are dear to me.

6.40.66 Abandoning all duties, come to me alone for refuge. I shall liberate you from all sins; grieve not.

6.40.67 This is never to be told by you to one who practices no austerity, nor to one without devotion, nor to one who does not wish to listen, nor to one who scoffs at me.

6.40.68 Whoever shall declare this supreme secret among my devotees, rendering the highest devotion to me, shall come to me alone, without doubt.

6.40.69 And among men there shall be none who renders me more cherished service than he, nor shall there be another on earth dearer to me than he.

6.40.70 And whoever shall study this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped through the sacrifice of knowledge: such is my conviction.

6.40.71 And the man who, full of faith and free from spite, should merely listen to it—he too, set free, shall attain the blessed worlds of those whose deeds are meritorious.

6.40.72 Has this been heard by you, O Pārtha, with a mind fixed upon one point? Has the delusion born of ignorance been destroyed in you, O Dhanaṃjaya?

6.40.73 Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed, and through your grace, O Acyuta, I have regained my memory. I stand firm, my doubts dispelled; I will do your word.

6.40.74 Saṃjaya said: Thus did I hear this marvelous dialogue, making the hair stand on end, between Vāsudeva and the great-souled Pārtha.

6.40.75 By the grace of Vyāsa I have heard this supreme secret, this yoga, from Kṛṣṇa, the lord of yoga, declaring it in person and with his own voice.

6.40.76 O king, recalling again and again this wondrous and holy dialogue of Keśava and Arjuna, I thrill with joy time after time.

6.40.77 And recalling again and again that exceedingly marvelous form of Hari, great is my wonder, O king, and I rejoice over and over.

6.40.78 Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the lord of yoga, wherever there is Pārtha the bowman, there are fortune, victory, prosperity, and steadfast righteousness: such is my conviction.

6.41.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, beholding Dhanaṃjaya bearing his arrows and the Gāṇḍīva bow, the great chariot-warriors once again let loose a mighty roar.

6.41.2 The Pāṇḍavas and the Somakas, and those who followed them, gladdened heroes, blew their conches, born of the sea.

6.41.3 Then kettledrums and tabors, krakaca-trumpets and cow-horns were all struck at once, and a tremendous din arose.

6.41.4 Then the gods together with the gandharvas and the ancestors, O lord of men, and the hosts of siddhas and cāraṇas, gathered there eager to behold the spectacle.

6.41.5 And the highly blessed sages, placing Śatakratu at their head, assembled there together to witness that great slaughter.

6.41.6 Then Yudhiṣṭhira, beholding those two armies, vast as the ocean, roused and arrayed for battle and surging again and again, O king—

6.41.7 the hero loosed his armor, laid aside his excellent weapon, swiftly descended from his chariot, and on foot, with hands joined in reverence—

6.41.8 gazing toward his grandsire, Yudhiṣṭhira the king of righteousness, with words restrained, set forth, facing eastward, toward the host of the foe.

6.41.9 Beholding him setting forth, Dhanaṃjaya the son of Kuntī swiftly stepped down from his chariot and, together with his brothers, followed him.

6.41.10 And the lord Vāsudeva walked behind him, and the foremost kings too, full of eagerness, went after him.

6.41.11 Arjuna said: What have you resolved, O king, that leaving us behind you set out on foot, facing eastward toward the army of the enemy?

6.41.12 Bhīmasena said: Where will you go, O king of kings, with armor and weapons cast aside, while the enemy's hosts stand mailed, and forsaking your brothers, O lord of the earth?

6.41.13 Nakula said: When you, my eldest brother, go forth in this manner, O Bhārata, fear torments my heart. Tell me, whither do you mean to go?

6.41.14 Sahadeva said: While this dreadful press of battle is upon us and the fight is to be joined, where will you go, advancing thus toward the foe, O king?

6.41.15 Saṃjaya said: Though thus addressed by his brothers, O delight of the Kurus, Yudhiṣṭhira, his speech restrained, said nothing at all, but went straight on.

6.41.16 To them the greatly wise and high-minded Vāsudeva spoke, as though smiling: His purpose I have understood.

6.41.17 This king, having sought the leave of Bhīṣma and Droṇa, of Gautama and of Śalya, indeed of all his elders, will then do battle with his foes.

6.41.18 For it is heard that in the ancient ordinance whoever does battle without seeking the leave of his elders is plainly held in ill regard by those who are greater than he.

6.41.19 But he who, having sought their leave according to the scriptures, fights with those greater than himself—his is certain victory in war: such is my conviction.

6.41.20 As Kṛṣṇa spoke thus, in the army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son there arose a great cry of dismay, while others among them fell silent.

6.41.21 Seeing Yudhiṣṭhira from afar, the soldiers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son spoke to one another: This man is a disgrace to his line, undone.

6.41.22 Plainly, as if afraid, this king Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Bhīṣma, drawing near with his brothers, a suppliant begging for refuge.

6.41.23 With Dhanaṃjaya for protector, and Vṛkodara the Pāṇḍava, and Nakula and Sahadeva—how is it that the son of Pāṇḍu comes forward in fear?

6.41.24 Surely he was not born in a kṣatriya line renowned upon the earth, weak of spirit as he is, whose heart is thus stricken with terror in the fray.

6.41.25 Then all those kṣatriyas fell to praising the Kauravas and, become glad and joyful at heart, each waved his garments aloft.

6.41.26 Then all the warriors there reviled Yudhiṣṭhira, O lord of the people, together with his brothers and with Keśava.

6.41.27 Then that Kaurava host, having cried shame upon Yudhiṣṭhira, fell silent again all at once, O lord of the people.

6.41.28 What will this king say? What will Bhīṣma answer? What will Bhīma, who glories in battle, say? And what will Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna say?—thus they wondered.

6.41.29 What does he intend to say? A very great uncertainty then arose in both armies, O king, on account of Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.41.30 Plunging into the enemy's host, thronged with arrows and spears, he swiftly approached Bhīṣma, encircled by his brothers.

6.41.31 Then, clasping his feet with both hands, the Pāṇḍava king addressed Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, who stood ready for battle.

6.41.32 Yudhiṣṭhira said: I take my leave of you, O unassailable one; I shall fight against you, dear father. Grant me your leave, dear father, and bestow upon me your blessings.

6.41.33 Bhīṣma said: Had you not come to me thus before the battle, O lord of the earth, I should have cursed you, great king, unto your defeat, O Bhārata.

6.41.34 I am pleased, my son; fight, and win victory, O Pāṇḍava. Whatever else you desire, that too may you obtain in the battle.

6.41.35 And let a boon be chosen, O Pārtha; what do you wish from us? When matters stand thus, O great king, defeat shall not be yours.

6.41.36 A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one's slave: this is the truth, O great king. By their wealth I am bound to the Kauravas.

6.41.37 Therefore I speak to you, O delight of the Kurus, words as of a eunuch: I have been bought with wealth, O Kaurava. What do you desire other than battle?

6.41.38 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Counsel me, O greatly wise one, ever seeking my good; fight for the Kaurava's sake. This is forever the boon I ask of you.

6.41.39 Bhīṣma said: O king, what help can I render you in this, O delight of the Kurus? Fight I shall, willingly, for another's sake; tell me what you wish to say.

6.41.40 Yudhiṣṭhira said: How may I conquer you, unvanquished, in the fray? Counsel me in this for my good, if you see what is best.

6.41.41 Bhīṣma said: I see no man, O son of Kuntī, who could vanquish me as I fight in the battle—not even Śatakratu himself in person.

6.41.42 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Then, grandsire, I ask you—homage be to you—tell me yourself the means by which you may be overcome by foes in battle.

6.41.43 Bhīṣma said: I see no enemy, my child, who could conquer me in battle; the hour of my death has not yet come. Come to me again.

6.41.44 Saṃjaya said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira, O delight of the Kurus, received Bhīṣma's words with bowed head and once more saluted him.

6.41.45 Then the mighty-armed one set forth again toward the teacher's chariot, in full view of all the armies, passing through their midst together with his brothers.

6.41.46 Having saluted Droṇa and made the rightward circumambulation about him, he spoke to that unassailable one a word that sought his own highest good.

6.41.47 I take my leave of you, O venerable one; I shall fight, freed of all guilt, and may I conquer all my foes when granted your leave, O brāhmaṇa.

6.41.48 Droṇa said: Had you not come to me, resolved upon battle, I should have cursed you wholly, great king, unto your utter defeat.

6.41.49 Therefore, Yudhiṣṭhira, I am content, and honored by you, O sinless one. I grant you leave: fight, and win the victory.

6.41.50 And I shall fulfill your desire; tell me what you long for. When matters stand thus, O great king, what do you wish other than battle?

6.41.51 A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one's slave: this is the truth, O great king. By their wealth I am bound to the Kauravas.

6.41.52 Therefore I speak to you words as of a eunuch: what do you wish other than battle? I shall fight for the Kaurava's sake, yet your victory is to be wished for by me.

6.41.53 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Wish me victory, O brāhmaṇa, and counsel me for my good; fight for the Kaurava's sake. This is the boon I have chosen.

6.41.54 Droṇa said: Certain is your victory, O king, you whose counselor is Hari. And I assure you: in battle you shall conquer your foes.

6.41.55 Where there is righteousness, there is Kṛṣṇa; where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is victory. Fight, go forth, O son of Kuntī; ask of me—what shall I tell you?

6.41.56 Yudhiṣṭhira said: I ask you, O best of the twice-born; hear what I wish to say. How may I conquer you, unvanquished, in the fray?

6.41.57 Droṇa said: There is no victory for you so long as I fight in battle. Strive swiftly, O king, together with your brothers, for my slaying.

6.41.58 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Alas! Then tell me, O mighty-armed one, the means of your own destruction. Bowing low, O teacher, I ask you this—homage be to you.

6.41.59 Droṇa said: I see no enemy, my child, who could slay me as I stand in battle, fighting in full fury and pouring forth floods and torrents of arrows—

6.41.60 save when, O king, I have resolved to fast unto death, have laid down my weapons and grown senseless to the world—then among warriors one might slay me in battle. This truth I tell you.

6.41.61 And I shall cast away my weapons in the battle on hearing some most grievous tidings from a man whose word is to be trusted: this truth I tell you.

6.41.62 Saṃjaya said: Having heard these words of the wise son of Bhāradvāja, O great king, and having taken leave of that teacher, he went toward the son of Śaradvat.

6.41.63 Saluting Kṛpa and walking around him in reverence, that king, skilled in speech, spoke this word to the most unassailable of men.

6.41.64 I ask your leave, O teacher; I shall fight, freed of all blame. With your sanction, O sinless one, may I conquer all my foes.

6.41.65 Kṛpa said: Had you not come to me, resolved upon the battle, I would have cursed you, O great king, to utter ruin in every way.

6.41.66 A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no man's slave. That is the truth, O great king: I am bound by wealth to the Kauravas.

6.41.67 For their sake I must fight—such is my resolve, O great king. Therefore I speak to you like one unmanned: what do you wish, other than battle?

6.41.68 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Then come, I shall ask you, O teacher; hear my words.

6.41.69 Saṃjaya said: Having spoken thus, the king grew troubled and, his senses faltering, said nothing more. But the descendant of Gotama, perceiving what he meant to ask, answered him: I cannot be slain, O lord of earth; fight, and win the victory.

6.41.70 Pleased by your coming, O ruler of men, I shall ever rise up and pray for your victory. This truth I tell you.

6.41.71 Having heard these words of the descendant of Gotama, O great king, and having taken leave of Kṛpa, the king went on toward the lord of the Madras.

6.41.72 Then, saluting Śalya and walking around him in reverence, the king spoke to that unassailable one a word that sought his own highest good.

6.41.73 I ask your leave, O teacher; I shall fight, freed of all blame. With your sanction, O great king, may I conquer my foes.

6.41.74 Śalya said: Had you not come to me, resolved upon the battle, I would have cursed you, O great king, to defeat in the field.

6.41.75 I am pleased, and I am honored; let what you desire be yours. I grant you leave: fight, and win the victory.

6.41.76 Speak further, O hero: what do you need, what shall I give you? Things being as they are, O great king, what do you wish, other than battle?

6.41.77 A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no man's slave. That is the truth, O great king: I am bound by wealth to the Kauravas.

6.41.78 I shall fulfill your desire as you wish it, O sister's son. Therefore I speak to you like one unmanned: what do you wish, other than battle?

6.41.79 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Counsel me always toward my highest good, O great king. Fight, if you must, for the enemy's sake—this is the boon I choose.

6.41.80 Śalya said: Tell me what help I may render you here, O best of kings. I shall fight, if I must, for the enemy's sake, for I have been bought by the Kauravas with wealth.

6.41.81 Yudhiṣṭhira said: That very promise you made me during the preparations is my boon, in truth: in battle you must break the fire and spirit of the charioteer's son.

6.41.82 Śalya said: This desire of yours shall be fulfilled as you wish it, O son of Kuntī. Go, fight without fear; I pledge you your victory.

6.41.83 Saṃjaya said: Then the son of Kuntī, having taken leave of his maternal uncle, the lord of the Madrakas, went forth from the great host, surrounded by his brothers.

6.41.84 But Vāsudeva approached the son of Rādhā upon the field, and then the elder brother of Gada spoke to him thus, for the Pāṇḍavas' sake:

6.41.85 I have heard, Karṇa, that out of enmity toward Bhīṣma you will not fight. Choose our side, O son of Rādhā, so long as Bhīṣma is not slain.

6.41.86 And when Bhīṣma is slain, O son of Rādhā, you may return again to the battle to aid the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, if you deem it fair and fitting.

6.41.87 Karṇa said: I shall do nothing displeasing to the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O Keśava. Know that I have laid down my very life as one who seeks Duryodhana's good.

6.41.88 Saṃjaya said: Hearing that word, Kṛṣṇa turned back, O descendant of Bharata, and rejoined the Pāṇḍavas, with Yudhiṣṭhira at their head.

6.41.89 Then in the midst of the host the eldest of the Pāṇḍavas proclaimed aloud: Whoever chooses us, him I in turn choose, for the sake of his aid.

6.41.90 Then, looking upon them, Yuyutsu, his heart gladdened, said this to the King of Righteousness, Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Kuntī:

6.41.91 I shall fight, before his very eyes, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the battle, for your cause, O great king, if you will choose me, O sinless one.

6.41.92 Yudhiṣṭhira said: Come, come! We shall all fight your foolish brothers. Yuyutsu, both Vāsudeva and we say so with one accord.

6.41.93 I choose you, O mighty-armed one; fight for my sake. In you alone are seen the funeral offering and the continuing line of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

6.41.94 Cleave to us, O prince of splendor, who cleave to you. The evil-minded, overbearing son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra shall not endure.

6.41.95 Saṃjaya said: Then Yuyutsu of the Kuru race, forsaking your sons, went over to the army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, sounding the war-drum as he went.

6.41.96 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, greatly rejoicing along with his younger brothers, once more took up his radiant armor, bright with gold.

6.41.97 All those bulls among men mounted again their several chariots, and then they once more arrayed their battle-formation as it had been before.

6.41.98 They sounded their war-drums and kettledrums by the hundreds, and those bulls among men raised lion-roars of many kinds.

6.41.99 Beholding the Pāṇḍavas, those tigers among men, standing upon their chariots, the kings led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna all rejoiced again with gladness.

6.41.100 Seeing the dignity of the sons of Pāṇḍu, who honored those worthy of honor, the rulers of earth there praised them exceedingly.

6.41.101 And the kings spoke of the friendship and the compassion of those great souls, timely as it was, and of their supreme tenderness toward their kinsmen.

6.41.102 "Well done, well done!" rang out on every side—holy words of praise from men of renown, gladdening the mind and the heart.

6.41.103 The barbarians and the noble Āryas who there saw and heard of that conduct of the sons of Pāṇḍu wept then, their voices choked with feeling.

6.41.104 Then those high-spirited men, full of joy, beat their great war-drums and kettledrums by the hundreds, and blew their conches white as cow's milk.

6.42.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: When the armies were thus arrayed, both mine and the others', who struck the first blow there—the Kurus or the Pāṇḍavas?

6.42.2 Saṃjaya said: Together with his brothers, O king, your son Duryodhana, placing Bhīṣma at the head, advanced with his army.

6.42.3 Likewise all the Pāṇḍavas, with Bhīmasena at their head, eager for battle with Bhīṣma, advanced with gladdened hearts.

6.42.4 Roars and shrill clamoring cries, krakaca trumpets and cow-horn pipes, kettledrums, tabors, and drums, the neighing of horses and the trumpeting of elephants—

6.42.5 —rose from both armies, O king. Then they charged at us, and we roared back in answer; and at that there arose a vast tumult.

6.42.6 At that great upheaval, in the clash of the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the mighty hosts trembled at the blasts of conches and drums, like forests shaken by the wind.

6.42.7 As the armies, thronged with kings and elephants, horses and chariots, advanced in that inauspicious hour, there arose a tumultuous roar of the hosts, like that of oceans churned by the gale.

6.42.8 As that tumultuous, hair-raising din arose, the mighty-armed Bhīmasena bellowed like a bull.

6.42.9 The blare of conches and drums, the trumpeting of elephants, and the lion-roars of the troops—all these the roar of Bhīmasena overwhelmed.

6.42.10 Over the neighing of horses in their thousands throughout the ranks, the cry of Bhīmasena rose above every other sound.

6.42.11 Hearing that roar of his, loud as a thundercloud and ringing like Indra's bolt, your soldiers were stricken with terror.

6.42.12 And all the beasts of burden voided their dung and urine at that hero's cry, as lesser creatures do at the roar of a lion.

6.42.13 Showing himself in dreadful form, roaring like a great storm-cloud, terrifying your sons, he bore down upon your army.

6.42.14 As that great archer came on, his own brothers surrounded him, covering him with showers of arrows as clouds veil the sun.

6.42.15 There were Duryodhana your son, and Durmukha, Duḥsaha, Śala, Duḥśāsana the mighty car-warrior, and Durmarṣaṇa too, O king,

6.42.16 Viviṃśati, Citrasena, and Vikarṇa the great car-warrior, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, and the valiant son of Somadatta.

6.42.17 Brandishing their great bows like storm-clouds flashing lightning, and taking up iron shafts like vipers darting forth from their holes,

6.42.18 Against them the sons of Draupadī, and the son of Subhadrā that great car-warrior, and Nakula and Sahadeva, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the grandson of Pṛṣata,

6.42.19 advanced against the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, harrowing them with sharp arrows as thunderbolts of great force shatter the peaks of mountains.

6.42.20 In that first onset, amid the dreadful twang of bowstrings against bracers, not one of yours nor of the foe turned his face from the fight.

6.42.21 I beheld the deftness of Droṇa's pupils, O bull of the Bhāratas—marksmen who struck their targets unfailingly, loosing their arrows in dense streams, O king.

6.42.22 The din of the twanging bows did not cease, and blazing arrows shot forth like meteors falling from the vault of heaven.

6.42.23 But all the other rulers of earth, like mere spectators, O descendant of Bharata, looked on at that dreadful yet wondrous clash of kinsmen.

6.42.24 Then those great car-warriors, their fury kindled, each having wronged the other, strove against one another in rivalry, O king.

6.42.25 The hosts of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, thronged with elephants, horses, and chariots, shone exceedingly upon the field, like a painting wrought upon a canvas.

6.42.26 Then all those kings, with bows grasped firm, fell upon the foe together with their troops, at your son's command.

6.42.27 And the kings, by their thousands, commanded by Yudhiṣṭhira, rushed roaring upon your son's host.

6.42.28 Fierce was that meeting of the troops of both armies; and the sun was hidden away, the host shrouded in dust.

6.42.29 Among those who fought, those who broke and fled, and those who rallied again, no distinction could be made there between one's own men and the foe.

6.42.30 And as that tumultuous, terrible battle raged, your father shone forth surpassing all the hosts.

6.43.1 Saṃjaya said: In the forenoon of that fearful day, O lord of peoples, there began a most dreadful battle, the hewing-asunder of the bodies of kings.

6.43.2 From the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, longing for victory in the fray, there rose a roar like that of lions, making heaven and earth resound.

6.43.3 There were shrill clamoring cries mingled with the clap of palms and the blare of conches, and the lion-roars of heroes bellowing back at one another arose.

6.43.4 There was the twang of bowstrings struck by the leather guards, O bull of the Bhāratas, the tread of foot-soldiers, and the loud neighing of horses,

6.43.5 the fall of goads and elephant-hooks, the clash of weapons, and the ringing of the bells of elephants as they charged against one another.

6.43.6 As that tumultuous, hair-raising din arose, the rumble of chariots became like the thunder of a rain-cloud.

6.43.7 Setting their minds upon cruelty and casting their lives utterly aside, they all, with banners raised on high, bore down upon the Pāṇḍavas.

6.43.8 The son of Śaṃtanu himself, O king, charged upon Dhanaṃjaya in the battle, gripping his dreadful bow that was like the rod of Death.

6.43.9 Arjuna too, the radiant one, seizing his bow Gāṇḍīva renowned throughout the world, rushed against the son of Gaṅgā at the head of the battle.

6.43.10 Those two tigers among the Kurus each sought to slay the other; yet the mighty son of Gaṅgā, though he pierced Pārtha in the fight, could not make him waver, and likewise, O king, the son of Pāṇḍu could not make Bhīṣma waver in the battle.

6.43.11 And Sātyaki, the great archer, advanced upon Kṛtavarman; between those two there arose a tumultuous, hair-raising combat.

6.43.12 Sātyaki assailed Kṛtavarman and Kṛtavarman Sātyaki, the two of them mangling each other with terrible arrows.

6.43.13 Their every limb studded with arrows, those two mighty warriors shone like a pair of kiṃśuka trees in springtime, dappled and bright with blossoms in flower.

6.43.14 Abhimanyu, the great archer, gave battle to Bṛhadbala; thereupon, O lord of peoples, the king of Kosala cut down in the fight the banner of Subhadrā's son and felled his charioteer.

6.43.15 Then the son of Subhadrā, enraged at the slaying of his charioteer, pierced Bṛhadbala, O great king, with nine arrows.

6.43.16 Then with two more broad-headed shafts, golden-hued, that crusher of foes cut the banner with one and the rein-driver with the other; and the two of them, enraged, O king, mangled each other with sharp arrows.

6.43.17 Proud, insolent in battle, a great car-warrior who had earned his enmity—such was your son Duryodhana, whom Bhīmasena now engaged.

6.43.18 Those two tigers among men, foremost of the Kurus, mighty in strength, rained upon each other showers of arrows on the field of battle.

6.43.19 Beholding those two great-souled and accomplished warriors, masters of the wondrous arts of combat, amazement seized all beings, O descendant of Bharata.

6.43.20 Duḥśāsana, advancing against the great car-warrior Nakula, struck him with many whetted arrows that pierced to the vitals.

6.43.21 The son of Mādrī, as if laughing, cut apart with sharp arrows his standard and his bow together with its shaft, O descendant of Bharata; and then he tormented him with twenty-five small darts.

6.43.22 But your son, hard to assail, in that great battle cut with his arrows the yoke-pole of Nakula's car and brought down his banner as well.

6.43.23 Durmukha, advancing against the mighty Sahadeva, pierced him with a shower of arrows as he strove in the great battle.

6.43.24 Then the hero Sahadeva, in that great battle, with an exceedingly sharp arrow brought down Durmukha's charioteer.

6.43.25 Closing upon each other in the fight, those two, frenzied for combat and bent on stroke and counter-stroke, terrified one another with terrible arrows.

6.43.26 King Yudhiṣṭhira himself advanced against the king of the Madras; and the lord of the Madras cut his bow in two, O venerable one.

6.43.27 Casting aside that severed bow, Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Kuntī took up another, swifter and stronger.

6.43.28 Then the king, enraged, covered the lord of the Madras with smooth-jointed arrows and cried, "Stand! Stand!"

6.43.29 Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna rushed upon Droṇa, O descendant of Bharata; but Droṇa, greatly enraged, cut into three pieces in the fight his stout bow—the very life-taker—as he strove with it.

6.43.30 And he loosed in the battle a most dreadful arrow, like a second rod of Death, which sank deep into his body.

6.43.31 Then taking up another bow and fourteen arrows, the son of Drupada pierced Droṇa in return in that engagement; and the two of them, greatly enraged, waged a most furious combat against each other.

6.43.32 In the fight Śaṅkha, the impetuous, advanced against the impetuous son of Somadatta, O great king, crying, "Stand! Stand!"

6.43.33 The hero pierced his right arm in the fight; and the son of Somadatta in turn struck Śaṅkha in the region of the collarbone.

6.43.34 Between those two, proud and swift in battle, O lord of peoples, there arose a combat of terrible form, like that between Vṛtra and Vāsava.

6.43.35 Against Bāhlika, enraged in the fight, the immeasurable-souled Dhṛṣṭaketu, that great car-warrior, fierce of aspect, charged, O lord of peoples.

6.43.36 Then Bāhlika, O king, assailed the indignant Dhṛṣṭaketu with many arrows and let forth a lion's roar.

6.43.37 But the king of the Cedis, greatly enraged, swiftly pierced Bāhlika in the fight with nine arrows, as a rutting elephant assails another in rut.

6.43.38 There in the fight those two, enraged and roaring again and again, came together in fury like Mars and Mercury.

6.43.39 Against the rākṣasa Alambuṣa, cruel in his deeds, the cruel-deeded Ghaṭotkaca advanced in battle, as Śakra against Bala.

6.43.40 Then Ghaṭotkaca, greatly enraged, rent that mighty rākṣasa with ninety sharp arrows, O descendant of Bharata.

6.43.41 But Alambuṣa in the fight again and again held off the mighty son of Bhīmasena with smooth-jointed arrows.

6.43.42 Wounded by arrows, those two then shone in the engagement like the mighty Bala and Śakra in the war of gods and demons.

6.43.43 The mighty Śikhaṇḍin in the fight advanced against the son of Droṇa, O king; thereupon Aśvatthāman, enraged, struck Śikhaṇḍin as he stood firm.

6.43.44 Piercing him grievously with a keen iron shaft, he made him quake; yet Śikhaṇḍin too, O king, then smote the son of Droṇa.

6.43.45 With a fine, sharp, well-whetted arrow he struck him; and the two of them then smote each other in the fray with manifold arrows.

6.43.46 Against the valiant Bhagadatta in the fight, Virāṭa the commander of hosts advanced in haste, O king; and thereupon a battle arose between them.

6.43.47 Virāṭa, struck by Bhagadatta with a shower of arrows, greatly enraged, rained upon him in return, as a cloud pours its rain upon a mountain.

6.43.48 Then Bhagadatta swiftly covered Virāṭa, lord of the earth, in the fight, as a cloud covers the risen sun.

6.43.49 Against Bṛhatkṣatra the Kaikeya, Kṛpa the son of Śaradvat advanced; and Kṛpa covered him with a shower of arrows, O descendant of Bharata.

6.43.50 The Kekaya, enraged, overwhelmed the son of Gautama with a downpour of arrows; and the two, having slain each other's horses and cut apart each other's bows—

6.43.51 Bereft of their cars, the indignant pair came together for combat with swords; and between them there arose a battle of terrible form, most fierce.

6.43.52 Then King Drupada, full of gladness, advanced against the gladsome Jayadratha, lord of the Sindhus, O scorcher of foes.

6.43.53 Then the king of the Sindhus struck Drupada in the fight with three arrows, and Drupada pierced him in return.

6.43.54 Between them there arose a battle of terrible form, most fierce, delighting the beholders, like that between Venus and Mars.

6.43.55 Your son Vikarṇa advanced with swift horses against the mighty Sutasoma; and thereupon a battle arose.

6.43.56 Vikarṇa, though he pierced Sutasoma with arrows, could not make him waver; and neither could Sutasoma make Vikarṇa waver—and that was a wondrous thing.

6.43.57 Against Suśarman, that tiger among men, the great car-warrior Cekitāna, valorous and greatly enraged, charged for the sake of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.43.58 But Suśarman, O great king, held off the great car-warrior Cekitāna in the engagement with a vast shower of arrows.

6.43.59 Cekitāna too, in fury, covered Suśarman in that great battle with arrows, as a great cloud covers a mountain.

6.43.60 Śakuni, the valorous, charged against the valiant Prativindhya, O lord of kings, as a rutting elephant against another in rut.

6.43.61 But the son of Yudhiṣṭhira, greatly enraged, rent the son of Subala in the fight with sharp arrows, as Maghavat rends a dānava.

6.43.62 And Śakuni, the highly sagacious, rent Prativindhya, who was piercing him in return in the battle, with smooth-jointed arrows.

6.43.63 Against Sudakṣiṇa, O lord of kings, the valiant great car-warrior of the Kāmbojas, Śrutakarman charged in the engagement.

6.43.64 But Sudakṣiṇa in the fight, though he pierced the great car-warrior son of Sahadeva, could not make him waver, any more than the mountain Maināka.

6.43.65 Then Śrutakarman, enraged, assailed the great car-warrior of the Kāmbojas with many arrows, rending him, as it were, on every side.

6.43.66 Then Irāvān, greatly enraged and on his guard, advanced in the fight against the indignant Śrutāyus, who was yet more on his guard.

6.43.67 The son of Arjuna, that great car-warrior, having slain his horses in the fight, roared a mighty roar that filled the host.

6.43.68 But Śrutāyus, greatly enraged, slew the horses of Phalguna's son in the fight with the head of his mace; and thereupon a battle arose.

6.43.69 Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti closed in battle with the great car-warrior Kuntibhoja, that hero, together with his host and his sons.

6.43.70 There we beheld a wondrous feat of valor by the men of Avanti, in that, standing firm, they fought against a mighty host.

6.43.71 Anuvinda struck Kuntibhoja with his mace; and Kuntibhoja then swiftly overwhelmed him with volleys of arrows.

6.43.72 And the son of Kuntibhoja, too, pierced Vinda with arrows, and Vinda pierced him in return—and that was a wondrous thing.

6.43.73 The five Kekaya brothers, with their hosts, gave battle to five Gāndhāras with their hosts, O venerable one.

6.43.74 And your son Vīrabāhu gave battle to Uttara, son of Virāṭa, that best of car-warriors, and pierced him with sharp arrows; and Uttara too pierced that steadfast warrior with sharp arrows.

6.43.75 The king of the Cedis in the fight rushed upon Ulūka, O king; and Ulūka too assailed him with sharp, feathered arrows.

6.43.76 Between them there arose a combat of terrible form, O lord of peoples; greatly enraged and unvanquished, they rent each other.

6.43.77 Thus in thousands of single combats of car-warriors, elephants, horsemen, and foot-soldiers, your forces and theirs grew confounded in the fight.

6.43.78 For a moment that battle was fair to behold; but thereafter, O king, as in a frenzy, nothing whatever could be discerned.

6.43.79 Elephant met elephant in the fight, and car-warrior met car-warrior, horse closed with horse, and foot-soldier with foot-soldier.

6.43.80 Then a most unbearable and tumultuous battle came about there, as the heroes in the fight closed upon one another.

6.43.81 There the divine seers, the siddhas, and the cāraṇas, gathered together, gazed upon that terrible battle, like the war of gods and demons.

6.43.82 Then thousands of elephants and of chariots, floods of horses and floods of men, O venerable one, came together in confusion.

6.43.83 Here and there were seen car-warriors, elephants, and foot-soldiers, and horsemen too, O tiger among men, fighting again and again.

6.44.1 Saṃjaya said: O king, hundreds of thousands fought there, here and there, then and again, beyond all bounds; of this I shall tell you, O descendant of Bharata.

6.44.2 There son knew not father, nor father his own begotten son, nor brother brother, nor uncle his sister's son.

6.44.3 Nor sister's son his uncle, nor friend his friend; as if possessed, the Pāṇḍavas fought together with the Kurus.

6.44.4 Some of those tigers among men hurled themselves with their chariots upon the array of cars, and yoke shattered against yoke, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.44.5 Chariot-poles clashed with chariot-poles and chariot-shafts with chariot-shafts; some warriors, their cars locked fast against locked cars, each strained to slay the other.

6.44.6 Some chariots, once they had collided with chariots, could not stir at all; and the great-bodied elephants in rut, charging together, crashed elephant upon elephant.

6.44.7 In their fury the war-elephants gored one another again and again with their tusks, and the foe's elephants, bearing lances and banners, tore into them.

6.44.8 O great king, when the swift and mighty elephants rushed upon them and struck them with their tusks, the wounded beasts shrieked there in utter agony.

6.44.9 Trained well in their lessons and goaded by spike and hook, the rut-maddened elephants advanced face to face against other rut-maddened elephants.

6.44.10 Some of the great elephants, locked in struggle even with those in rut, let loose a cry like the curlew's and fled this way and that.

6.44.11 Well-handled elephants, the ichor flowing from their cheeks and trunks, those noble war-beasts pierced through by sword, lance, and iron shaft—

6.44.12 their vital parts shattered, they screamed and fell down lifeless, while some, bellowing dreadful roars, stampeded toward every quarter.

6.44.13 The foot-guards of the elephants, broad-chested smiters, armed with swords and bows and gleaming battle-axes,

6.44.14 with maces and pestles, with slings and lances, with iron bludgeons and with bright, keen-edged blades—

6.44.15 these were seen, O great king, running here and there in fierce excitement, weapons raised, each eager to kill the other.

6.44.16 And the gleaming swords, drenched in the blood of men, shone forth as the heroes charged upon one another.

6.44.17 From the swords flung down and swept about by the arms of heroes there arose a tumultuous din as they fell upon the vital parts of the foe.

6.44.18 Of those crushed by mace and pestle, of those cleft by fine swords, of those split apart by elephants' tusks and trampled under elephants—

6.44.19 of those throngs of men crying out to one another here and there, terrible voices were heard, O Bhārata, like the voices of the departed dead.

6.44.20 And horsemen, on horses decked with chowries and crests, swift as wild geese, rushed against one another.

6.44.21 The great javelins they hurled, adorned with gold, swift and bright and keen, flew on like serpents.

6.44.22 Some horsemen, leaping upon the great chariots with their swiftest steeds, took off the heads of the heroic charioteers.

6.44.23 And many horsemen who came within his arrow-range a chariot-warrior, drawing near, struck down with broad-headed, smooth-jointed shafts.

6.44.24 Elephants like mountains and clouds, frenzied and decked in gold, dashed the horses aside and crushed them under their feet.

6.44.25 Their frontal globes split open and their flanks laid bare, some elephants, struck down by javelins, screamed in utmost anguish.

6.44.26 Some noble elephants, seizing the horses together with their riders and dashing them up, hurled them violently there amid the dreadful press of battle.

6.44.27 The elephants, tossing up horses with their riders upon the points of their tusks, ranged about, trampling whole hosts of chariots together with their banners.

6.44.28 Out of their masculine fury and their rutting frenzy, some of the great elephants there slew the horses and their riders with their trunks and their feet.

6.44.29 Some elephants, seizing with their trunks the chariots together with their horses and dragging them off, ranged toward every quarter, answering to every command.

6.44.30 Swift, bright, and keen, the arrows flew on like serpents, piercing through the bodies of men and horses and through their iron armor.

6.44.31 Bright spears, launched by the arms of heroes, fell here and there, O lord of the peoples, dreadful as great meteors.

6.44.32 With shields bound in panther-hide and tiger-skin, with bare and gleaming swords, the warriors smote down their foes in battle.

6.44.33 Charging in, full of wrath and gashed open along one flank, displaying their prowess, they rushed together with sword, shield, and battle-axe.

6.44.34 Some were torn open by spears and some hewn apart by battle-axes; some were crushed by elephants and others trampled down by horses.

6.44.35 Cut down by chariot-rims and hewn by sharpened arrows, the men cried out, O king, here and there, calling upon their kinsmen—

6.44.36 some upon their sons, some upon their fathers, some upon their brothers along with their kindred, upon uncles and nephews, and even upon their foes in the fray.

6.44.37 Very many, O Bhārata, their entrails strewn forth and their thighs broken, their fine arms severed and their flanks ripped open, were seen wailing, parched with thirst, still longing for life.

6.44.38 Some, overcome by thirst and weak of strength, O lord of the peoples, fallen upon the ground in battle, begged only for water.

6.44.39 Drenched in streams of blood and racked with pain, O Bhārata, they bitterly reproached themselves and your assembled sons.

6.44.40 Other valiant warriors, having made enmity with one another, would neither cast away their weapons nor cry out, O honored sir, but, exulting, threatened one another here and there.

6.44.41 Biting through their own lips with their teeth in their wrath, with faces drawn into knotted frowns, they glared at one another.

6.44.42 Others, sorely afflicted, tormented by their wounds and pierced by arrows, men of firm courage and great strength, fell utterly silent.

6.44.43 Other heroes, their chariots lost, seeking out another's car in the fray, fell and were crushed by the noble elephants, and they shone, O great king, like kiṃśuka trees in flower.

6.44.44 Many a fearful clamor arose throughout the ranks as that most terrible slaughter of the foremost heroes went on.

6.44.45 In that battle father slew son and son slew father; the sister's son slew the uncle, and the uncle slew the sister's son.

6.44.46 Friend slew friend, O king, and kinsman slew kinsman; thus did the Kurus there do battle with the Pāṇḍavas.

6.44.47 As that terror unfolded in that boundless, mighty war, the host of the Pārthas, coming up against Bhīṣma, trembled.

6.44.48 With his banner of five stars, a palmyra wrought in silver and raised high upon his great chariot, O bull of the Bhāratas, the mighty-armed Bhīṣma then shone, O king, like the moon above Meru.

6.45.1 Saṃjaya said: When the greater part of the forenoon had passed on that dread day, as the immense and terrible slaughter of the foremost heroes went on,

6.45.2 Durmukha and Kṛtavarman, Kṛpa, Śalya, and Viviṃśati, urged on by your son, came up and guarded Bhīṣma.

6.45.3 Guarded by these five mighty car-warriors, O bull of the Bhāratas, the great chariot-hero plunged into the ranks of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.45.4 Among the Cedis, the Kāśis, the Karūṣas, and the Pāñcālas, O Bhārata, Bhīṣma's palmyra banner was seen ranging about in many directions.

6.45.5 And then Bhīṣma struck off heads, and arms together with their weapons, with swift, broad-headed, smooth-jointed shafts.

6.45.6 As Bhīṣma seemed to dance along the paths of his chariot, O bull of the Bhāratas, some of the elephants, struck in their vital parts, raised cries of agony.

6.45.7 Then Abhimanyu, in towering wrath, mounting his chariot yoked with excellent tawny steeds, drove straight toward Bhīṣma's car.

6.45.8 With his banner of the karṇikāra blossom, bright with gold, he rained his shafts upon Bhīṣma and upon those foremost of car-warriors.

6.45.9 Striking the banner of him whose ensign was the palmyra with a keen, feathered shaft, that hero did battle with Bhīṣma and with his followers.

6.45.10 Having pierced Kṛtavarman with one iron shaft and Śalya with five, he struck the great-grandsire with nine keen-pointed arrows.

6.45.11 With a single arrow, loosed from a fully drawn bow and well aimed, he pierced the gold-adorned banner.

6.45.12 And with a broad-headed, smooth-jointed shaft that cleaves through every guard, he struck the head of Durmukha's charioteer from his body.

6.45.13 With a keen-pointed broad-headed shaft he cut apart the gold-adorned bow of Kṛpa, and assailed those warriors with sharp-mouthed arrows.

6.45.14 In utmost fury that great car-warrior smote them, seeming to dance; and beholding his deftness, even the gods were delighted.

6.45.15 By the unerring aim of the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, all the car-warriors led by Bhīṣma deemed him a man of valor, Dhanaṃjaya himself made manifest.

6.45.16 His bow, kept ever in the path of deftness, glowing like a firebrand, ranged about all the quarters, loud-voiced like the Gāṇḍīva.

6.45.17 Coming up against him, Bhīṣma, slayer of hostile heroes, swiftly pierced the son of Arjuna in battle with nine fast-flying arrows.

6.45.18 And with three broad-headed shafts he cut down the banner of that one of surpassing might, and that man of steadfast vows struck his charioteer with three arrows.

6.45.19 In like manner Kṛtavarman, Kṛpa, and Śalya, O honored sir, though they pierced the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, could not make him waver, like the mountain Maināka.

6.45.20 Surrounded by those great car-warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's side, that hero, the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, poured showers of arrows upon the five chariot-fighters.

6.45.21 Then, warding off their great missiles with showers of arrows, the mighty son of Kṛṣṇa's sister roared aloud, loosing his shafts against Bhīṣma.

6.45.22 There, O king, the exceeding strength of his arms was made plain as he strove in battle and harried Bhīṣma with his arrows.

6.45.23 Against that very valiant one Bhīṣma too sent forth his shafts; but he cut to pieces in battle those arrows loosed from Bhīṣma's bow.

6.45.24 Then that hero of unfailing aim cut down Bhīṣma's banner in battle with nine arrows, and thereupon the people shouted aloud.

6.45.25 That silver palmyra of mighty stem, adorned with gold, cut down by the shafts of Subhadrā's son, fell to the earth, O Bhārata.

6.45.26 Seeing the banner fallen by the arrows of Subhadrā's son, O bull of the Bhāratas, Bhīma roared in delight, gladdening the heart of Subhadrā's son.

6.45.27 Then Bhīṣma, of fearful aspect and great strength, brought forth in that moment many mighty and celestial missiles.

6.45.28 Then the great-grandsire of immeasurable spirit overwhelmed the son of Subhadrā with a hundred thousand smooth-jointed arrows.

6.45.29 Then ten great bowmen, mighty car-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, sped forward upon their chariots to protect the son of Subhadrā.

6.45.30 Virāṭa with his son, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the grandson of Pṛṣata, and Bhīma, and the Kekayas, and Sātyaki, O lord of the peoples—

6.45.31 As these swept down in haste, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, in battle, struck the Pāñcāla prince with three arrows and Sātyaki with sharp ones.

6.45.32 And with a single keen, razor-edged, feathered shaft, loosed from a fully drawn bow, he cut down the banner of Bhīmasena.

6.45.33 The golden banner of Bhīmasena, bearing a lion, O best of men, struck down by Bhīṣma, fell from his chariot.

6.45.34 Bhīmasena, having pierced Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu with three arrows in battle, struck Kṛpa with one and Kṛtavarman with eight.

6.45.35 And Uttara, the son of Virāṭa, mounted upon an elephant whose trunk was raised on high, rushed against the king, the lord of the Madras.

6.45.36 As that royal elephant came rushing down in haste, the charioteer Śalya checked its matchless onset in the battle.

6.45.37 Enraged, that lordly elephant of Uttara—huge and well-trained—set its foot upon the yoke and crushed all four of Śalya's horses.

6.45.38 Standing in his car whose horses were slain, the lord of the Madras hurled an iron spear, like a serpent, that would be the death of Uttara.

6.45.39 His armor pierced through by it, entering a vast darkness, he fell from the elephant's shoulder, his goad and lance slipping from his grasp.

6.45.40 Then Śalya, taking up his sword and leaping down from his splendid chariot, advanced boldly and severed the great trunk of the lordly elephant.

6.45.41 Its vital parts torn by showers of shafts, its trunk cut off, that elephant gave a terrible cry of agony, then fell and died.

6.45.42 Having performed this feat, the king of the Madras, that mighty car-warrior, swiftly mounted the gleaming chariot of Kṛtavarman.

6.45.43 Seeing his noble brother Uttara slain, and seeing Śalya stationed there together with Kṛtavarman, Virāṭa's son Śaṅkha blazed up with wrath like fire fed with oblations.

6.45.44 Twanging his great bow adorned with gold, the mighty one rushed forward, eager to slay Śalya, the lord of the Madras.

6.45.45 Surrounded on every side by a great host of chariots, pouring forth a rain of arrows, he advanced toward Śalya's car.

6.45.46 Seeing him bearing down with the might of a rutting elephant, seven of your warriors' chariots hemmed him in on all sides, seeking to rescue the king of the Madras, who had passed between the very fangs of death.

6.45.47 Then the mighty-armed Bhīṣma, roaring like a thundercloud, seized a bow tall as a palm tree and charged upon Śaṅkha in the fray.

6.45.48 Beholding that mighty archer of vast strength rise up, the Pāṇḍava army trembled like a ship struck by the force of the wind.

6.45.49 Then Arjuna swiftly placed himself in front of Śaṅkha, thinking, "This man must be guarded today from Bhīṣma," and so the battle was joined.

6.45.50 A great cry of dismay arose among the warriors fighting in the field; "Splendor has met splendor," they said, and were filled with wonder.

6.45.51 Then Śalya, mace in hand, descending from his great chariot, slew the four steeds of Śaṅkha, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.45.52 Quickly taking up his sword, Śaṅkha fled from the car whose horses were slain, and reaching the chariot of Bībhatsu he found safety there.

6.45.53 Then from Bhīṣma's chariot the winged shafts flew swiftly forth, and by them the sky and the earth were everywhere overspread.

6.45.54 The Pāñcālas, the Matsyas, the Kekayas, and the Prabhadrakas—Bhīṣma, the foremost of strikers, laid them low with his arrows.

6.45.55 Quickly leaving the Pāṇḍava Savyasācin on the field, he rushed against the Pāñcāla Drupada, who was surrounded by his army; and upon that dear kinsman, O king, he poured down a multitude of shafts.

6.45.56 Like forests scorched by fire at winter's end, the troops of Drupada appeared, burnt up by his arrows; and Bhīṣma stood in the battle like a smokeless flame.

6.45.57 As none can gaze upon the midday sun blazing with its splendor, so the warriors of the Pāṇḍava could not look upon Bhīṣma.

6.45.58 The Pāṇḍavas, oppressed by fear, looked about them on every side, but found no protector, like cattle tormented by the cold.

6.45.59 As the army, struck down and scattered, dispirited and crushed, gave way, a great cry of distress arose among the troops of the Pāṇḍus, O Bhārata.

6.45.60 Then Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, his bow ever drawn into a circle, loosed flaming-tipped shafts like venomous serpents.

6.45.61 Making all the quarters a single path with his arrows, that man of firm vows slew the chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, singling out each one by name, O Bhārata.

6.45.62 Then, as the armies broke and were churned to pieces on every side, and as the maker of day reached his setting, nothing whatever could be discerned.

6.45.63 And seeing Bhīṣma raging on in that great battle, the sons of Pṛthā sounded the recall of their troops, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.46.1 Saṃjaya said: When the first day's withdrawal of the armies had been made, O bull of the Bhāratas—Bhīṣma furious in the fight and Duryodhana exultant—

6.46.2 the Dharma-king, going swiftly to Janārdana, together with all his brothers and all the lords of men,

6.46.3 filled with the deepest grief, brooding upon defeat, spoke thus to the scion of the Vṛṣṇis, O king, having beheld Bhīṣma's prowess:

6.46.4 "Kṛṣṇa, behold the great archer Bhīṣma of terrible might, burning up my army with his shafts as fire burns dry grass in summer.

6.46.5 How shall we even be able to look upon this great soul, who licks up my army as fire licks at the oblation?

6.46.6 For at the sight of this tiger among men, this mighty bowman of vast strength, my army has scattered in flight, smitten by his arrows.

6.46.7 Yama in his wrath might be conquered in battle, and the wielder of the thunderbolt, and Varuṇa bearing his noose, and Kubera with his mace—

6.46.8 but Bhīṣma of vast splendor and mighty strength cannot be conquered. So matters standing, I am sunk in the fathomless waters of Bhīṣma, without a raft.

6.46.9 Through the weakness of my own judgment, Keśava, I have come up against Bhīṣma; I shall go to the forest, Govinda—better for me to live there.

6.46.10 I cannot give over these guardians of the earth to Bhīṣma, to their death; Bhīṣma, knower of great weapons, will surely destroy my army, Kṛṣṇa.

6.46.11 As moths rushing into a blazing fire go only to their destruction, so do the men of my army.

6.46.12 For the sake of a kingdom I, though valiant, have been brought to ruin, scion of the Vṛṣṇis; and my heroic brothers are worn thin, tormented by arrows.

6.46.13 For my sake, out of brotherly love, they have been cast out from kingdom and from ease. I now hold life itself a precious thing, for life today is hard to keep.

6.46.14 With what remains of my life I shall practice harsh austerities; I will not have these friends of mine slain in battle, Keśava.

6.46.15 Mighty Bhīṣma ceaselessly destroys my chariot-warriors by the many thousands, the foremost of strikers, with his celestial weapons.

6.46.16 What can I do that my purpose may be accomplished? Tell me, Mādhava, without delay. I see Savyasācin standing in the battle as though indifferent.

6.46.17 Bhīma alone, the mighty-armed, fights with utmost strength, remembering the warrior's duty, by sheer might of arm alone.

6.46.18 With his hero-slaying mace, that great-spirited one, to the utmost of his vigor, performs deeds hard to do among elephants, horses, chariots, and foot-soldiers.

6.46.19 Yet even he is not able, sir, to bring the enemy host to destruction by fair fighting alone, that hero, not in a hundred years.

6.46.20 This friend of yours alone knows the weapons, yet even he disregards us, while we are consumed by Bhīṣma and by the great-souled Droṇa.

6.46.21 The celestial weapons of Bhīṣma and of the great-souled Droṇa, loosed again and again, will burn up all the warriors.

6.46.22 Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣma, fierce in his fury, joined with all the kings, will surely make an end of us—such is his prowess.

6.46.23 Therefore, O lord of yoga, look out for some great archer, some mighty car-warrior, who might quell Bhīṣma in the fight as a raincloud quells a forest fire.

6.46.24 By your grace, Govinda, the Pāṇḍavas, their foes slain, having regained their own kingdom, will rejoice together with their kinsmen."

6.46.25 Having spoken thus, the great-spirited son of Pṛthā sat sunk in thought, long turned inward, his mind overwhelmed by grief.

6.46.26 Knowing the Pāṇḍava stricken with grief, his mind broken by sorrow, Govinda then spoke, gladdening all the Pāṇḍavas:

6.46.27 "Grieve not, foremost of the Bhāratas; you ought not to grieve, you whose brothers are heroes, archers above all the world.

6.46.28 And I am here to do you good, O king, and Sātyaki the great car-warrior, and the aged Virāṭa and Drupada, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata.

6.46.29 And likewise all the kings with their forces, O best of kings, devoted to you, await your favor, O lord of peoples.

6.46.30 This son of Pṛṣata, Dhṛṣṭadyumna of mighty strength, ever wishing your good and devoted to your welfare, has been made the commander of your host; and Śikhaṇḍin too, O mighty-armed one, is to be the death of Bhīṣma.

6.46.31 Hearing this, the king then spoke to Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the great car-warrior, in that assembly, while Vāsudeva listened:

6.46.32 "Dhṛṣṭadyumna, mark well what I shall say to you, sir; this word of mine, once spoken, must not be transgressed.

6.46.33 You are my commander-in-chief, approved by Vāsudeva; as Kārttikeya was of old the eternal leader of the gods, so are you the general of the Pāṇḍus, O bull among men.

6.46.34 Therefore, O tiger among men, advance boldly and slay the Kauravas; and I will follow after you, and Bhīma, and Kṛṣṇa, sir,

6.46.35 and the two sons of Mādrī together, and the sons of Draupadī clad in armor, and those other foremost guardians of the earth, O bull among men."

6.46.36 Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna, rousing the spirits of all, said: "I, O Pārtha, was ordained of old by Śambhu to be the ender of Droṇa.

6.46.37 Bhīṣma in battle, and Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, Jayadratha—all of them, arrogant in war, I shall this day meet in combat, O king."

6.46.38 Then a shout went up from the great archers, the Pāṇḍavas mad for battle, when that lord of kings, the son of Pṛṣata, the slayer of foes, rose up.

6.46.39 Then the son of Pṛthā said to the son of Pṛṣata, the commander of the host: "There is a formation called the Krauñca-aruṇa, the crusher of all foes—

6.46.40 the one which Bṛhaspati then declared to Indra in the war of gods and demons. Array it duly, the destroyer of the enemy's ranks; let the kings, together with the Kurus, behold what was never seen before."

6.46.41 Thus addressed by the god among men, as Viṣṇu was by the bearer of the thunderbolt, at daybreak he placed Dhanaṃjaya at the head of all the forces.

6.46.42 His banner, ranging the path of the sun, wondrous and ravishing to behold, had been fashioned by Viśvakarman at the command of Puruhūta.

6.46.43 Adorned with pennants of the hue of Indra's bow, moving through the sky like a thing of the air, resembling a city of the Gandharvas, it seemed to dance, sir, as the chariot wheeled through its courses.

6.46.44 With that jewel-bright banner and with the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva, the son of Pṛthā shone supremely furnished, like the Self-Existent with the sun.

6.46.45 King Drupada, surrounded by a great army, formed the head; and Kuntibhoja and the Caidya stood at the eyes, O lord of men.

6.46.46 The Dāśārṇakas and the Prayāgas, together with the bands of the Dāśerakas, the dwellers of the watered lowlands, and the Kirātas, formed the neck, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.46.47 And with the Paṭaccaras and the Huṇḍas, O king, and the Pauravakas, and together with the Niṣādas, Yudhiṣṭhira held the back.

6.46.48 The two wings were Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata, the sons of Draupadī and Abhimanyu, and Sātyaki the great car-warrior.

6.46.49 The Piśācas and the Daradas, the Puṇḍras together with the Kuṇḍīviṣas, the Maḍakas and the Laḍakas, the Taṅgaṇas and the Parataṅgaṇas—

6.46.50 the Bāhlīkas and the Tittiras, the Colas and the Pāṇḍyas, O Bhārata—these peoples, O king, took their station on the right wing.

6.46.51 The Agniveṣyas, the Jagattuṇḍas, and the Paladāśas, O Bhārata, the Śabaras and the Tumbupas, and the Vatsas together with the Nākulas—and Nakula and Sahadeva took their station on the left flank.

6.46.52 The two wings held ten thousand chariots, and the head a hundred thousand; the back numbered a hundred million and twenty thousand besides; and at the neck were a hundred thousand and seventy thousand more.

6.46.53 At the wings, their tips, the outer wings, and the wings' ends, the elephants moved hemmed in on every side, O king, like mountains on the march.

6.46.54 Virāṭa, together with the Kekayas, guarded the rear, as did the king of Kāśi and Śaibya, with thirty thousand chariots.

6.46.55 Having marshalled this great battle-array, O Bhārata, the Pāṇḍavas, armoured and longing for the sunrise, stood ready for battle.

6.46.56 Sun-coloured, spotless, and vast, their white parasols shone resplendent upon the elephants and the chariots.

6.47.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, beholding the great Krauñca formation—impenetrable and most terrible—drawn up by Pārtha of immeasurable splendour, your son,

6.47.2 approaching the preceptor, O venerable one, and Kṛpa and Śalya, and the son of Somadatta and Vikarṇa, and Aśvatthāman as well,

6.47.3 and Duḥśāsana and his other brothers, all of them, O Bhārata, and the many other heroes who had assembled for battle,

6.47.4 your son, gladdening them, spoke these timely words: "All of you wield manifold weapons and are versed in arms and missiles.

6.47.5 Each one of you, all great chariot-warriors, is alone able to slay the sons of Pāṇḍu with their host in battle—how much more so when united!

6.47.6 Unlimited is this our force, guarded by Bhīṣma, while limited is this force of theirs, O best of kings.

6.47.7 Let the Saṃsthānas and the Śūrasenas, the Veṇikas and the Kukuras, the Ārevakas and the Trigartas, the Madrakas and the Yavanas,

6.47.8 together with Śatruṃjaya and with Duḥśāsana, and with the heroic Vikarṇa, and with Nanda and Upananda,

6.47.9 joined with Citrasena and with the Pāṇibhadrakas, set their armies before them and guard Bhīṣma above all."

6.47.10 Then Droṇa and Bhīṣma and your son, O venerable one, drew up a great formation to repel the Pāṇḍavas.

6.47.11 Bhīṣma, surrounded on every side by a mighty host, advanced, leading on the great army like the king of the gods.

6.47.12 Behind him followed the mighty archer, the valorous son of Bhāradvāja, with the Kuntalas and the Daśārṇas and the Māgadhas, O lord of peoples,

6.47.13 with the Vidarbhas and the Mekalas and the Karṇaprāvaraṇas as well, together with the whole army, behind Bhīṣma resplendent in battle.

6.47.14 The Gāndhāras, the Sindhus and Sauvīras, the Śibis, and then the Vasātis—and Śakuni with his own troops—guarded the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.47.15 Then King Duryodhana, together with all his brothers, with the Aśvātakas and the Vikarṇas, and likewise with the Śarmilas and the Kosalas,

6.47.16 and with the Daradas and the Cūcupas, and likewise the Kṣudrakas and the Mālavas, joyfully guarded the host of Subala's son.

6.47.17 Bhūriśravas, Śala, Śalya, and Bhagadatta, O venerable one, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, guarded the left flank.

6.47.18 The son of Somadatta and Suśarman, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja, and Śatāyus and Śrutāyus, took their place on the right flank.

6.47.19 Aśvatthāman and Kṛpa, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvata line, with a great army stationed themselves at the rear of the host.

6.47.20 The guardians of its rear were kings from various lands—Ketumat and Vasudāna, and Abhibhū the son of the king of Kāśi.

6.47.21 Then all your warriors, rejoicing for battle, O Bhārata, filled with gladness blew their conches and let loose their lion-roars.

6.47.22 Hearing the lion-roar of those joyful men, the aged grandsire of the Kurus, the valorous one, roared aloud in answer and blew his conch.

6.47.23 Then conches and kettledrums and tabors of many kinds, and war-drums, were sounded by the foe, and the din became tumultuous.

6.47.24 Then, stationed upon a great chariot yoked with white horses, the two blew their excellent conches, adorned with gold and gems—

6.47.25 Hṛṣīkeśa blew the Pāñcajanya, Dhanaṃjaya the Devadatta, and Vṛkodara of terrible deeds blew the great conch Pauṇḍra.

6.47.26 King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew the Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and the Maṇipuṣpaka.

6.47.27 The king of Kāśi and Śaibya, and Śikhaṇḍin the great chariot-warrior, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Virāṭa, and Sātyaki of great renown,

6.47.28 and the Pāñcāla prince the mighty archer, and the five sons of Draupadī—all blew their great conches and sounded their lion-roars.

6.47.29 That mighty din, raised there by those heroes, tumultuous, made both sky and earth resound.

6.47.30 Thus, O great king, the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, exultant, came together once more for battle, tormenting one another.

6.48.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: When the armies were thus drawn up, my own and the others, how did those foremost of warriors begin their onslaught?

6.48.2 Saṃjaya said: When the armies stood evenly arrayed, accoutred and bright with banners, beholding the host like a shoreless ocean,

6.48.3 in their midst stood King Duryodhana, your son, and said to all your warriors: "Fight, you who are armoured!"

6.48.4 Hardening their hearts to cruelty, casting away their lives, they all advanced upon the Pāṇḍavas with banners upraised.

6.48.5 Then there arose a tumultuous, hair-raising battle between your men and the foe, with chariots and elephants entangled together.

6.48.6 Arrows loosed by the chariot-warriors, gold-feathered and keen-edged, with unblunted points, fell upon the elephants and the horses.

6.48.7 As the battle thus raged, the mighty-armed Bhīṣma of terrible prowess, armoured, raised his bow and charged forward.

6.48.8 Upon the son of Subhadrā and upon Bhīmasena, upon Śini's grandson the great chariot-warrior, upon Kekaya and Virāṭa, and upon Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata—

6.48.9 upon these heroes among men, and upon the Cedis and Matsyas all around, the aged grandsire of the Kurus rained showers of arrows.

6.48.10 The great formation shook in that meeting of heroes, and there was a vast confusion among all the armies.

6.48.11 With their banners and elephants cast down, their finest steeds slain, and their ranks of chariots scattered, so the Pāṇḍavas became.

6.48.12 But Arjuna, the tiger among men, seeing Bhīṣma the great chariot-warrior, said in wrath to the Vṛṣṇi hero: "Drive to where the grandsire is.

6.48.13 This Bhīṣma, sorely enraged, O Vṛṣṇi hero, will surely destroy my host, intent upon Duryodhana's good.

6.48.14 This Droṇa, and Kṛpa, Śalya, and Vikarṇa, O Janārdana, and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra united, with Duryodhana at their head,

6.48.15 will slaughter the Pāñcālas, guarded by that firm-bowed one. Therefore I shall go against Bhīṣma for the sake of the army, O Janārdana."

6.48.16 To him Vāsudeva said: "Be on your guard, Dhanaṃjaya. I am bringing you, O hero, against the grandsire's chariot."

6.48.17 Having spoken thus, the descendant of Śūra brought that world-famed chariot up against Bhīṣma's chariot, O lord of men.

6.48.18 With its many fluttering pennons, with horses the colour of cranes, with its great and most terrible roaring ape-banner upraised, with the mighty thunder of his chariot bright as the sun,

6.48.19 the Pāṇḍava, smiting the Kaurava host and the Śūrasenas, came on swiftly, loosing arrows—he who dispels the grief of friends.

6.48.20 As he rushed on with violence like a rutting elephant, terrifying the heroes in battle and felling them with his shafts,

6.48.21 Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, guarded by the Saindhava chiefs and by the Easterners, Sauvīras, and Kekayas, suddenly came forth to meet Arjuna.

6.48.22 For what chariot-warrior, other than the Kuru grandsire, or Droṇa, or the son of the Sun, was fit to encounter the wielder of Gāṇḍīva?

6.48.23 Then Bhīṣma, O great king, the grandsire of the Kauravas, covered Arjuna with seventy-seven iron arrows.

6.48.24 Droṇa pierced him with twenty-five, Kṛpa with fifty arrows, Duryodhana with sixty-four, and Śalya with nine arrows,

6.48.25 and the lord of the Sindhus with nine, and Śakuni too with five, and Vikarṇa with ten broad-headed shafts, O king, pierced the Pāṇḍava.

6.48.26 Pierced on every side by those whetted arrows, the mighty archer of great arms did not waver, like a mountain being split.

6.48.27 That tiger among men, in turn, pierced Bhīṣma with twenty-five arrows and Kṛpa with nine, Droṇa with sixty and Vikarṇa with three arrows,

6.48.28 and the son of Ṛtāyana with three shafts and the king with five did the diademed one of immeasurable spirit strike back, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.48.29 Sātyaki and Virāṭa, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata, and the sons of Draupadī, and Abhimanyu, surrounded Dhanaṃjaya.

6.48.30 Then the Pāñcāla prince, joined with the Somakas, rained arrows upon Droṇa the mighty archer, who was intent on the welfare of the son of Gaṅgā.

6.48.31 But Bhīṣma, foremost of chariot-warriors, swiftly pierced the Pāṇḍava with eighty whetted arrows, and at that your men cried out in joy.

6.48.32 Hearing the clamour of those exultant men, the valorous lion among chariot-warriors, himself exultant, then plunged into their midst.

6.48.33 Reaching the midst of those lions among chariot-warriors, Dhanaṃjaya sported with his bow, O king, making targets of those great chariot-warriors.

6.48.34 Then King Duryodhana, the lord of men, seeing his own army hard pressed by Pārtha in the fray, said to Bhīṣma:

6.48.35 "This mighty son of Pāṇḍu, dear sire, joined with Kṛṣṇa, cuts away the very root of our whole striving army, even while you, the son of Gaṅgā, and Droṇa, foremost of chariot-warriors, yet live.

6.48.36 For on your account even this Karṇa, the great chariot-warrior, has laid down his weapons and does not fight Pārtha in battle, though ever desiring my welfare.

6.48.37 Act, then, O son of Gaṅgā, so that Phalguna may be slain." Thus addressed, O king, your sire Devavrata said, "Shame upon the warrior's code!"—and drove against Pārtha's chariot.

6.48.38 Beholding the two white-horsed warriors locked in combat, O king, the kings raised loud lion-roars and conch-blasts, O Bhārata.

6.48.39 The son of Droṇa, and Duryodhana, and Vikarṇa your son, surrounding Bhīṣma in the battle, stood ready to fight, O venerable one.

6.48.40 In the same way all the Pāṇḍavas, surrounding Dhanaṃjaya, stood ready for the great battle; and then the fight began.

6.48.41 The son of Gaṅgā struck Pārtha in the battle with nine arrows, and Arjuna struck him back with ten that pierced the vitals.

6.48.42 Then, with a thousand well-aimed arrows, Arjuna the Pāṇḍava, glorious in battle, hemmed in all the quarters around Bhīṣma.

6.48.43 But that net of arrows, O Kaurava, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu warded off in turn with his own net of arrows against Pārtha.

6.48.44 Both supremely exultant, both rejoicing in the battle, they fought as equals, each seeking to answer stroke with stroke.

6.48.45 The nets of arrows loosed from Bhīṣma's bow were seen breaking apart in masses, shattered by Arjuna's shafts.

6.48.46 And likewise the nets of arrows loosed by Arjuna, struck piecemeal by the son of Gaṅgā's shafts, fell down upon the earth.

6.48.47 Arjuna struck Bhīṣma with twenty-five sharp arrows, and Bhīṣma too, in the battle, pierced Pārtha with thirty arrows.

6.48.48 Piercing each other's horses and both their banners, the two mighty subduers of foes, those great-strengthed warriors, sported also with each other's chariot-poles and chariot-wheels.

6.48.49 Then, O great king, the wrathful Bhīṣma, foremost of those who strike, smote Vāsudeva with three arrows in the breast.

6.48.50 Pierced by the shafts loosed from Bhīṣma's bow, the slayer of Madhu shone in the battle, O king, like a kiṃśuka tree in full flower.

6.48.51 Then Arjuna, exceedingly enraged at seeing Mādhava wounded, pierced Gāṅgeya's charioteer in the encounter with three arrows.

6.48.52 Though both those heroes strove for each other's destruction, they could not, in that battle, gain any opening upon one another.

6.48.53 Through the skill and deftness of their charioteers they displayed in manifold ways their wondrous wheeling courses, advancing and retreating again.

6.48.54 Watching for an opening to strike, those two great car-warriors, O king, kept their stations again and again upon the intervening paths.

6.48.55 Both of them raised the blast of their conches mingled with lion-roars, and likewise those two great car-warriors made the twang of their bows resound.

6.48.56 By the blast of their conches and the din of their chariot-wheels the earth was suddenly rent, and it quaked and roared.

6.48.57 None, O bull of the Bhāratas, could perceive any opening in either of them; both were mighty and brave in battle, and equal to one another.

6.48.58 By his ensign alone could the Kauravas there recognize Bhīṣma, and likewise the sons of Pāṇḍu knew Pārtha by his ensign alone.

6.48.59 Beholding such prowess in those two best of men, O king, all beings were struck with wonder in that battle, O Bhārata.

6.48.60 None could see a weak point in either of them in the fight, O Bhārata, even as in a man steadfast in righteousness none can find any fault anywhere.

6.48.61 Both of them became invisible behind their net of arrows, and both again quickly became visible in the battle.

6.48.62 There the gods together with the Gandharvas and the Cāraṇas, along with the seers, spoke to one another, beholding the prowess of those two.

6.48.63 These two great car-warriors, when roused in battle, cannot be vanquished in any wise, not even by all the worlds together with their gods, Asuras, and Gandharvas.

6.48.64 This battle, a marvel in the worlds, is exceedingly wondrous; battles such as this shall never come to pass in any way again.

6.48.65 Nor can Bhīṣma be conquered in the fight by the wise Pārtha, while bow in hand and stationed on his car he showers his shafts in battle.

6.48.66 And likewise the son of Pāṇḍu, that bowman hard to assail even by the gods in battle, Bhīṣma cannot venture to vanquish in the fray.

6.48.67 Such words, laden with praise of Gāṅgeya and Arjuna in their combat, were heard rising up here and there, O lord of peoples.

6.48.68 Then thy warriors and those of the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata, smote one another in the battle amid the prowess of those two.

6.48.69 With keen-edged swords and bright battle-axes, with arrows and with many other weapons of various kinds, the heroes of both armies cut one another down in the fight.

6.48.70 While that dreadful and most cruel battle was thus raging, O king, there came about a great encounter between Droṇa and the Pāñcāla prince.

6.49.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How did the great bowman Droṇa and the Pāñcāla son of Pṛṣata, both intent, come together in battle? Recount that to me, Saṃjaya.

6.49.2 I deem destiny supreme, even above manly effort, Saṃjaya, since Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu could not overcome the son of Pāṇḍu in the fight.

6.49.3 For Bhīṣma, enraged in battle, could slay the worlds with all that moves and moves not; how then could he not, by his own might, overcome the son of Pāṇḍu in the fight, Saṃjaya?

6.49.4 Saṃjaya said: Hear, O king, with a steady mind, of this most dreadful battle. The son of Pāṇḍu cannot be vanquished even by the gods led by Vāsava.

6.49.5 Droṇa fought against Dhṛṣṭadyumna with sharp arrows, and with a broad-headed shaft struck down his charioteer from the chariot-box.

6.49.6 Then in his wrath, O venerable one, he afflicted the four steeds of Dhṛṣṭadyumna with four excellent shafts.

6.49.7 Thereupon the hero Dhṛṣṭadyumna, laughing, pierced Droṇa with ninety sharp arrows, and cried out, 'Stand! Stand!'

6.49.8 Then once more the immeasurable and valorous son of Bhāradvāja covered with his shafts the wrathful Dhṛṣṭadyumna.

6.49.9 And he took up a dreadful arrow for the slaying of Pṛṣata's son, of touch like Śakra's thunderbolt, like a second rod of Death.

6.49.10 A great cry of dismay arose from all the host, O Bhārata, when they saw that shaft fitted to the string by the son of Bhāradvāja in the encounter.

6.49.11 Therein we beheld a wondrous feat of manliness in Dhṛṣṭadyumna, that the hero alone in battle stood firm as an unmoving mountain.

6.49.12 And that blazing, dreadful arrow speeding toward him, his own death, he cut asunder, and let loose a shower of arrows upon the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.49.13 Then all the Pāñcālas together with the Pāṇḍavas raised a shout, beholding that most difficult feat accomplished by Dhṛṣṭadyumna.

6.49.14 Then that valiant one, longing for Droṇa's death, hurled a swift lance adorned with gold and lapis.

6.49.15 That gold-decked lance rushing suddenly upon him, the son of Bhāradvāja, as if laughing, cut into three pieces in the battle.

6.49.16 Seeing his lance struck down, the valorous Dhṛṣṭadyumna poured showers of arrows upon Droṇa, O lord of men.

6.49.17 Then the illustrious Droṇa, warding off that shower of arrows, cut asunder in the middle the bow of Drupada's son.

6.49.18 His bow being severed, that mighty and illustrious one hurled at Droṇa in the battle a heavy mace made of mountain-stuff.

6.49.19 That mace, loosed with force, sped on, eager to slay Droṇa; therein we beheld a wondrous feat of prowess in the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.49.20 By his deftness he turned aside that gold-adorned mace, and having turned it aside, he sent forth arrows upon Pṛṣata's son.

6.49.21 Well-sharpened broad-headed shafts, dyed yellow, gold-feathered, and whetted on stone — they pierced his armor and drank his blood in the fight.

6.49.22 Then the high-souled Dhṛṣṭadyumna, taking up another bow and pressing forward against Droṇa in the fight, pierced him with five arrows.

6.49.23 Then those two bulls among men, smeared with blood, shone forth, O king, like two kiṃśuka trees in flower in the springtime.

6.49.24 Then, full of indignation, O king, and pressing forward at the head of the host, Droṇa again cut asunder the bow of Drupada's son.

6.49.25 Then the immeasurable one overwhelmed him, his bow severed, with smooth-jointed arrows, as a cloud drenches a mountain with rain.

6.49.26 And with a broad-headed shaft he struck down his charioteer from the chariot-box, and then his four steeds with four sharp arrows —

6.49.27 these he felled in the battle, and he uttered a lion-roar; then with another broad-headed shaft he cut the bow from his hand.

6.49.28 His bow severed, his car gone, his steeds slain, his charioteer killed, he descended mace in hand, making known his great manhood.

6.49.29 That mace, too, Droṇa swiftly struck down with his shafts, O Bhārata, before he had even descended from the car; that seemed a wonder.

6.49.30 Then that strong, fair-armed hero, seizing a broad shield marked with a hundred moons and gleaming bright, and a broad celestial sword,

6.49.31 rushed forward with speed, longing to slay Droṇa, as a lion seeking prey rushes upon a rutting elephant in the forest.

6.49.32 Therein we beheld a wondrous feat of manliness in the son of Bhāradvāja — his deftness, his mastery of weapons, and the strength of his arms, O Bhārata —

6.49.33 in that he held off Pṛṣata's son with a shower of arrows, so that, mighty though he was, he could not advance in the battle.

6.49.34 There we beheld the great car-warrior Dhṛṣṭadyumna standing firm, warding off the floods of arrows with his shield, like one of practiced hand.

6.49.35 Then the mighty-armed and strong Bhīma suddenly rushed up, rendering aid in the battle to the high-souled son of Pṛṣata.

6.49.36 He pierced Droṇa, O king, with seven sharp arrows, and then quickly mounted Pṛṣata's son upon another car.

6.49.37 Then King Duryodhana urged on the Kaliṅga, attended by a great host, for the protection of the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.49.38 Then that great host of the Kaliṅgas, O lord of men, advanced swiftly upon Bhīma at thy son's command.

6.49.39 And Droṇa too, that foremost of car-warriors, leaving the Pāñcāla prince, gave battle to the aged Virāṭa and Drupada, who had joined together; and Dhṛṣṭadyumna in the battle went forth to the King of Righteousness.

6.49.40 Then there arose a tumultuous, hair-raising battle between the Kaliṅgas and the high-souled Bhīma, world-destroying, of dreadful form, and terrifying.

6.50.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Being thus commanded, how did the Kaliṅga, that leader of hosts, fight in battle, together with his army, against the mighty Bhīmasena of wondrous deeds —

6.50.2 that hero ranging with his mace like Death himself with rod in hand? How did the Kaliṅga, with his army, give him battle in the encounter?

6.50.3 Saṃjaya said: Thus addressed by thy son, O king of kings, that mighty one, guarded by a great host, set forth against Bhīma's car.

6.50.4 That great host of the Kaliṅgas rushing suddenly on, thick with chariots, elephants, and horses, its mighty weapons raised —

6.50.5 Bhīmasena assailed that army of the Kaliṅgas, O Bhārata, and Ketumat the Niṣāda prince advancing with the Cedis.

6.50.6 Then Śrutāyus, sorely enraged, together with King Ketumat, encountered Bhīma in the battle, while the Cedi ranks were arrayed.

6.50.7 With many thousands of cars, the lord of the Kaliṅgas, and Ketumat with ten thousand elephants and with the Niṣādas, beset Bhīmasena, O king, on every side in the battle.

6.50.8 And the Cedis, Matsyas, and Karūṣas, with Bhīmasena at their head, suddenly advanced upon the Niṣādas together with their kings.

6.50.9 Then there arose a battle of dreadful form and terrifying, the warriors in their lust to slay one another no longer knowing their own.

6.50.10 Then dreadful was Bhīma's sudden battle with the foe, O great king, like that of Indra with the great host of the Daityas.

6.50.11 From that army warring in the encounter, O Bhārata, there arose a mighty roar like that of the thundering sea.

6.50.12 The warriors then, cutting one another down, O lord of peoples, made the whole earth strewn over and red as the blood of a hare.

6.50.13 In their eagerness to slay, the warriors knew neither their own nor the foe; the heroes, hard to vanquish in battle, struck down even their own and their own kin.

6.50.14 A very great slaughter there was of the few against the many — of the Cedis against the Kaliṅgas and the Niṣādas, O lord of peoples.

6.50.15 Having put forth their manly might to the utmost, the strong Cedis abandoned Bhīmasena and turned back.

6.50.16 Though beset by all the Kaliṅgas when the Cedis had withdrawn, the son of Pāṇḍu, relying on the strength of his own arms, did not turn back.

6.50.17 The mighty Bhīmasena stirred not from his place upon the car, and overwhelmed the host of the Kaliṅgas with his keen arrows.

6.50.18 But the Kaliṅga king, a mighty archer, and his son, a great car-warrior renowned as Śakradeva, struck at the Pāṇḍava with their arrows.

6.50.19 Then mighty-armed Bhīma, shaking his gleaming bow, gave battle to the Kaliṅgas, relying on the strength of his own arms.

6.50.20 But Śakradeva, loosing many shafts in the fray, slew Bhīmasena's horses with his arrows, and rained down showers of arrows like a cloud at the end of the hot season.

6.50.21 But Bhīmasena of great might, standing upon his car whose horses were slain, hurled at Śakradeva a mace made wholly of refined iron.

6.50.22 Struck down by it, O king, the son of the Kaliṅga king fell from his car, together with his banner and his charioteer, to the surface of the earth.

6.50.23 Seeing his own son slain, the lord of the Kaliṅgas hemmed in Bhīma on every side with many thousands of cars.

6.50.24 Then mighty-armed Bhīma, casting aside his heavy great mace, drew forth his sword, eager to perform a terrible deed.

6.50.25 And he took up, O king, O bull among men, a peerless shield of bull's hide, adorned with stars and half-moons wrought of gold.

6.50.26 Then the Kaliṅga king, enraged, stroked his bowstring, and taking up one dreadful arrow like the venom of a serpent, the lord of men sent it forth at Bhīmasena, longing to slay him.

6.50.27 That sharp arrow speeding swiftly upon him, Bhīmasena cut in two, O king, with his broad sword, and shouted aloud in his joy, striking terror into the host.

6.50.28 Then the Kaliṅga king, enraged, swiftly hurled at Bhīmasena in the encounter fourteen lances whetted upon stone.

6.50.29 Before they reached him, while they were still in the air, the mighty-armed Pāṇḍava cut them apart at once, O king, unflustered, with his excellent sword.

6.50.30 Having shorn through those fourteen lances in the battle, Bhīma, that bull among men, fixed his gaze upon Bhānumat and rushed at him.

6.50.31 But Bhānumat then, covering Bhīma with a shower of arrows, raised a mighty roar, making the vault of heaven resound.

6.50.32 Bhīma did not endure that lion's roar in the great battle, and so he too bellowed forth a loud cry with a mighty voice.

6.50.33 Terrified by that sound, the army of the Kaliṅgas, O bull of the Bhāratas, no longer reckoned Bhīma in the fight to be a man.

6.50.34 Then Bhīma, O great king, having roared a vast cry, sword in hand, leapt swiftly and, by its two tusks, seized that finest of elephants.

6.50.35 Then he mounted upon the middle of that king of elephants, O sire, and with his broad sword cut Bhānumat asunder through the middle.

6.50.36 Having slain the prince fighting close beside him, that subduer of foes brought down his sword upon the elephant's shoulder, which could bear a heavy load.

6.50.37 With its shoulder cleft, that lord of the elephant herd, crying out, fell, like a crag-crested mountain washed away by the rush of a river.

6.50.38 Then, O Bhārata, the descendant of Bharata, leaping down from that elephant, sword in hand, undaunted in spirit, stood mailed upon the ground.

6.50.39 He ranged along many paths, fearless, felling elephants, and appeared on every side like a whirling wheel of fire.

6.50.40 Overpowering them, smiting down troops of horses, elephants, ranks of cars, and bands of foot-soldiers, drenched in blood, Bhīma ranged like a hawk through the battle, terrible amid the host of his foes.

6.50.41 Swift as he was, he severed the bodies and the heads of those elephant-warriors in the encounter with his keen-edged sword.

6.50.42 A single foot-soldier, enraged, swelling the terror of his foes, he bewildered them then, like Yama, the ender, at the time of doom.

6.50.43 And those bewildered men, roaring, rushed upon him in the battle, as he ranged with utmost speed, sword in hand, through the great fray.

6.50.44 Cutting through the car-poles and yokes of the car-warriors in the battle, that mighty crusher of foes slew the car-warriors as well.

6.50.45 Bhīmasena, ranging along very many paths, was seen everywhere; the Pāṇḍava displayed the wheeling, the upward whirling, the brandishing, the leaping, the springing forth, the gliding, the onset and the upward thrust.

6.50.46 Some, cleft by the point of the sword of the high-souled Pāṇḍava, cried out, their vitals pierced, and fell down lifeless.

6.50.47 And some elephants, their tusk-tips and trunks lopped off, their frontal lobes shattered, riderless, smote their own ranks, O Bhārata, and fell upon the earth, bellowing great cries.

6.50.48 And severed lances and bows and the heads of elephant-drivers, gay-colored housings and girths gleaming with gold,

6.50.49 and neck-ornaments and spears, banners and barbed darts, quivers and engines and many-hued bows,

6.50.50 and bright fire-pots, and goads together with elephant-hooks, and bells of many kinds, O king, and gold-cored sword-hilts, falling and fallen, together with their riders — all these we saw.

6.50.51 With elephants slain, their limb-guards and trunks shorn away, the earth in that place was strewn over with the fallen, as though with mountains.

6.50.52 Having thus crushed those great elephants, that bull among men trampled the horses and struck down the finest of the horsemen, O Bhārata; and dreadful was that battle between him and them, O Bhārata.

6.50.53 And bits and harness-straps and whips gleaming with gold, and housings and javelins and costly swords,

6.50.54 and corselets and shields and gaily-colored saddle-cloths, scattered here and there, were seen in that great battle.

6.50.55 With manifold horse-trappings and with bright weapons he made the earth bestrewn, as though with many-colored flowers.

6.50.56 Leaping upon and seizing certain car-warriors, the mighty Pāṇḍava struck them down with his sword, banners and all.

6.50.57 As that glorious one again and again sprang up in all directions, and ran, and ranged along wondrous paths, the people in the battle marveled.

6.50.58 Some he slew with his foot; others he seized and dashed to the ground; others he cut down with his sword; and yet others he terrified with his roar.

6.50.59 Others again he felled to the ground by the force of his thighs; and some, merely beholding him, in their terror passed into death.

6.50.60 Thus that numerous army of the swift Kaliṅgas, having ringed Bhīṣma about in the battle, rushed upon Bhīmasena.

6.50.61 Then, O bull of the Bhāratas, fixing his gaze upon Śrutāyus at the head of the Kaliṅga host, Bhīmasena advanced against him.

6.50.62 Seeing him coming on, the Kaliṅga king of immeasurable spirit pierced Bhīmasena in the breast with nine arrows.

6.50.63 Struck by the Kaliṅga's arrows, like an elephant tormented by the goad, Bhīmasena blazed up with wrath, as fire blazes with fuel.

6.50.64 Then Aśoka, bringing up a car adorned with gold, the charioteer furnished Bhīma with that car.

6.50.65 Swiftly mounting that car, the son of Kuntī, slayer of foes, rushed upon the Kaliṅga king, crying, 'Stand! Stand!'

6.50.66 Then mighty Śrutāyus, enraged, sent forth sharp arrows at Bhīma, displaying the lightness of his hand.

6.50.67 Sorely struck by nine sharp arrows loosed from that excellent bow by the Kaliṅga king, O king, the glorious Bhīma grew exceedingly wrathful, like a serpent beaten with a staff.

6.50.68 And enraged, that best of the mighty, the son of Pṛthā, Bhīma, drawing his bow with force, slew the Kaliṅga king with seven iron shafts.

6.50.69 And with two razor-edged arrows he dispatched to the abode of Yama the two mighty wheel-guards of the Kaliṅga king, Satyadeva and Satya.

6.50.70 Then again, Bhīma of immeasurable spirit, with three sharp iron arrows, sent Ketumat in the battle to the abode of Yama.

6.50.71 Then the Kaliṅgas, enraged, the warriors hemmed in the impatient Bhīmasena with many thousands of troops.

6.50.72 Then with spears and maces and swords, with lances and javelins and battle-axes, the Kaliṅgas, O king, overwhelmed Bhīmasena.

6.50.73 Warding off that terrible shower of arrows that had risen against him, the mighty Bhīma, taking up his mace and swiftly leaping forth, led seven hundred heroes to the abode of Yama.

6.50.74 And once more that crusher of foes sent two thousand Kaliṅgas to the world of death; and that was as though a marvel.

6.50.75 Thus again and again the hero shattered those ranks of the Kaliṅgas in the battle, with his gaze upon Bhīṣma of the great vow.

6.50.76 And the elephants, their riders slain by the high-souled Pāṇḍava, scattered through the ranks like clouds driven by the wind, trampling their own troops and bellowing, sore wounded by arrows.

6.50.77 Then the mighty-armed Bhīma, that strong one, blew his conch and made the hearts of all the Kaliṅga soldiery tremble.

6.50.78 And a stupor seized upon the Kaliṅgas, O scorcher of foes, and their soldiers and their mounts trembled in every part.

6.50.79 By Bhīma in the battle, O king, ranging on every side like a lordly elephant along many paths, running here and there, again and again springing up, a bewilderment was wrought among them.

6.50.80 And the host, panic-stricken with fear of Bhīmasena, quivered, churned and broken open, like a great lake stirred by a crocodile.

6.50.81 When the heroes had been terrified by Bhīma of wondrous deeds, some rallying back and some fleeing away in companies,

6.50.82 while all the Kaliṅga warriors were thus, the commander of the Pāṇḍava host, the son of Pṛṣata, said to his own ranks, 'Fight!'

6.50.83 Hearing the words of their commander, the troops led by Śikhaṇḍin advanced toward Bhīma with their smiting bands of cars.

6.50.84 And the Pāṇḍava, the King of Righteousness, supported them all from behind with a great cloud-colored division of elephants.

6.50.85 Having thus urged on all his own ranks, the son of Pṛṣata took up the guarding of Bhīmasena's rear, as befits a good man.

6.50.86 For in the world there was none other for the king of the Pāñcālas, save Bhīma and Sātyaki, dearer than his own life's breath.

6.50.87 The son of Pṛṣata, slayer of hostile heroes, beheld that slayer of foes, the mighty-armed Bhīmasena, ranging among the Kaliṅgas.

6.50.88 He roared again and again, O king, and was filled with joy, that scorcher of foes; and in the battle he blew his conch and gave forth a lion's roar.

6.50.89 And Bhīmasena, beholding upon the gold-adorned car of him whose horses were dove-gray the banner of the kovidāra tree, took heart again.

6.50.90 But Dhṛṣṭadyumna of immeasurable spirit, seeing Bhīmasena beset by the Kaliṅgas, advanced in the battle to his rescue.

6.50.91 Sātyaki, seeing from afar those two, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Vṛkodara, the high-minded heroes giving battle to the Kaliṅgas in the fray,

6.50.92 the grandson of Śini, that best of victors, having sped thither swiftly, that bull among men, took up the guarding of the rear of the son of Pṛthā and the son of Pṛṣata.

6.50.93 There, working havoc, his bow taken up, abiding in a terrible mood, he slew his foes in the battle.

6.50.94 And there Bhīma set flowing a river, sprung from the Kaliṅgas, miry with flesh and blood, streaming with gore.

6.50.95 Between the host of the Kaliṅgas and that of the Pāṇḍavas, the mighty Bhīmasena crossed over that river most hard to cross.

6.50.96 Seeing Bhīmasena thus, O king, your men cried out, 'This is Death himself, in the form of Bhīma, doing battle with the Kaliṅgas!'

6.50.97 Then Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, hearing that uproar in the battle, made haste against Bhīma, his ranks arrayed on every side.

6.50.98 At him rushed Sātyaki, Bhīmasena, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata, charging upon Bhīṣma's chariot adorned with gold.

6.50.99 Surrounding on every side the impetuous son of Gaṅgā in the fray, they all swiftly struck Bhīṣma, each with three terrible arrows.

6.50.100 Your father Devavrata pierced them all in return—those great bowmen straining at their utmost—with three straight-flying shafts apiece.

6.50.101 Then, holding off those mighty car-warriors with a thousand arrows, he slew with his shafts Bhīma's steeds caparisoned in golden trappings.

6.50.102 Standing in his chariot whose horses were slain, the valorous Bhīmasena hurled a lance with force against the chariot of the son of Gaṅgā.

6.50.103 That lance, before ever it reached him, your father Devavrata cut into three in the battle, and it fell shattered to the earth.

6.50.104 Then, seizing a heavy mace of tempered iron, the mighty Bhīmasena leaped swiftly down from his chariot, O bull among men.

6.50.105 And Sātyaki too, at once, wishing to please Bhīma, brought down with his shafts the charioteer of the aged Kuru.

6.50.106 But Bhīṣma, foremost of car-warriors, when his charioteer was slain, was carried off from the field of battle by those horses that ran like the wind.

6.50.107 Then, O king, when he of the great vows had been borne away, Bhīmasena blazed up like a fire grown high as it consumes dry brushwood.

6.50.108 Having slain all the Kaliṅgas, he stood in the midst of the host, and none of your warriors dared confront him, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.50.109 Dhṛṣṭadyumna, foremost of car-warriors, taking the illustrious one up into his own chariot, bore him away in the sight of all the armies.

6.50.110 Honored by the Pāñcālas and the Matsyas, O bull of the Bhāratas, having embraced Dhṛṣṭadyumna, he then came to Sātyaki.

6.50.111 Then Sātyaki of true valor, the tiger of the Yadus, gladdening him, spoke to Bhīmasena while Dhṛṣṭadyumna looked on:

6.50.112 By good fortune the king of the Kaliṅgas, and the prince Ketumān, and Śakradeva the Kaliṅga, and the Kaliṅgas themselves are slain in the fight.

6.50.113 By the strength and valor of your own arm, the great battle-array of the Kaliṅgas, thronged with elephants, horses, and chariots, has been crushed by you alone.

6.50.114 Having spoken thus, the long-armed grandson of Śini, the tamer of foes, springing from chariot to chariot, embraced the son of Pāṇḍu.

6.50.115 Then, mounting his own chariot once more, that great car-warrior, enraged, slew your men, lending strength to Bhīma's force.

6.51.1 Saṃjaya said: When the greater part of the afternoon of that day had passed, O Bhārata, amid the great destruction of chariots, elephants, horses, foot-soldiers, and cavalry,

6.51.2 the prince of Pāñcāla engaged with these three great car-warriors—the son of Droṇa, Śalya, and the high-souled Kṛpa.

6.51.3 That mighty heir of the Pāñcālas struck down the world-famed steeds of the son of Droṇa with ten sharp, swift-flying arrows.

6.51.4 Then the son of Droṇa, his horses slain, quickly mounted Śalya's chariot and rained arrows upon the heir of the Pāñcālas.

6.51.5 Seeing Dhṛṣṭadyumna locked in combat with the son of Droṇa, O Bhārata, the son of Subhadrā rushed up at once, scattering whetted shafts.

6.51.6 He pierced Śalya with twenty-five arrows, Kṛpa with nine, and Aśvatthāman with eight, O bull among men.

6.51.7 Then the son of Droṇa swiftly pierced the son of Arjuna with a feathered shaft, Śalya with twelve, and Kṛpa with three whetted arrows.

6.51.8 And Lakṣmaṇa, your grandson, advanced exultantly against your grandson who stood there, and thereupon a battle ensued.

6.51.9 Then Duryodhana's son, full of wrath, pierced the son of Subhadrā with nine arrows in the fight, O king, and it seemed a marvel.

6.51.10 But Abhimanyu, enraged, O bull of the Bhāratas, quick of hand, pierced his cousin with fifty arrows, O king.

6.51.11 Then Lakṣmaṇa with a feathered shaft cut his bow at the grip, O great king, and at that the people raised a great shout.

6.51.12 Casting aside that severed bow, the son of Subhadrā, slayer of hostile heroes, took up another splendid bow of swifter force.

6.51.13 Those two bulls among men, eager in that battle, each seeking to repay the other blow for blow, struck one another with sharp, keen arrows.

6.51.14 Then King Duryodhana, lord of men, seeing his son, that great car-warrior, hard pressed by your grandson, went thither.

6.51.15 When your son had turned to the fight, all the lords of men hemmed in the son of Arjuna on every side with their array of chariots.

6.51.16 Surrounded by those heroes, hard to conquer in battle, that hero, whose prowess equaled Kṛṣṇa's, was not shaken at all, O king.

6.51.17 Then Dhanaṃjaya, seeing the son of Subhadrā locked in combat there, rushed forward in fury, longing to rescue his own son.

6.51.18 Then the kings, with their chariots, elephants, and horses, led by Bhīṣma and Droṇa, advanced together against Savyasācin.

6.51.19 The dust of the earth, suddenly thrown up by elephants, horses, chariots, and cavalry, rose dense to the path of the sun and was seen on high.

6.51.20 Those thousands of elephants and hundreds of kings, coming within the range of his arrows, could in no way press forward.

6.51.21 All creatures wailed, the quarters grew dark, and a fierce, dreadful calamity of the Kurus was plainly seen.

6.51.22 Neither the sky, nor the quarters, nor the earth, nor the sun could be made out, O best of the Bhāratas, for the masses of arrows loosed by the diademed one.

6.51.23 Some leaders of chariot-bands were seen with their banners and elephants brought low, their steeds slain, the warriors sorely stricken, their chariots scattered in flight.

6.51.24 Other car-warriors, deprived of their chariots, were seen here and there running on every side, still bearing their weapons, with armlets upon their arms.

6.51.25 Riders abandoning their horses, and mahouts their tusked beasts, fled in every direction out of fear of Arjuna, O king.

6.51.26 Lords of men, struck by Arjuna, were seen fallen and falling from their chariots, their elephants, and their horses.

6.51.27 Arms raised on high, grasping maces and swords, O lord of the people, holding lances and quivers, arrows and bows,

6.51.28 and goads and standards—these of the warriors Arjuna hewed off here and there with his fierce arrows, wearing then a dreadful form.

6.51.29 Of massive iron clubs and of war-hammers, my lord, of lances and slings and swords in the battle,

6.51.30 of sharp battle-axes and javelins, O Bhārata, and of shattered mail-coats and cuirasses upon the ground,

6.51.31 of banners and shields and fans on every side, of parasols with golden staves and yak-tail whisks, O Bhārata,

6.51.32 and of goads and whips and harness-straps, my lord—heaps of these were seen strewn there upon the field of battle.

6.51.33 There was not a single man of your army, O Bhārata, who could in any wise advance against the heroic Arjuna in battle.

6.51.34 For whoever advanced against Pārtha in the fight, O lord of the people, he was sent to the other world by his sharp shafts.

6.51.35 As your warriors fled in every direction, Arjuna and Vāsudeva blew their excellent conches.

6.51.36 Seeing that host broken, your father Devavrata spoke in the battle to the hero, the son of Bhāradvāja, as if with a smile:

6.51.37 This heroic son of Pāṇḍu, joined with Kṛṣṇa, the mighty one, deals with the armies just as Dhanaṃjaya would.

6.51.38 For he can in no way be conquered today in battle, since the form he wears appears like Yama the all-ending Death.

6.51.39 Nor can this great host be turned back: behold, this army flees, each man only watching the other run.

6.51.40 And the sun is now reaching the best of mountains, where it sets, as if withdrawing utterly the forms of all the world.

6.51.41 I think the hour for withdrawal has come, O bull among men; our warriors, weary and afraid, will not fight at all.

6.51.42 Having spoken thus to Droṇa, the best of teachers, Bhīṣma, that great car-warrior, then ordered the withdrawal of your forces.

6.51.43 Then came the withdrawal of the armies, both yours and theirs, O Bhārata, as the sun went down and the hour of twilight set in.

6.52.1 Saṃjaya said: When the night had brightened into dawn, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu then gave orders for the marshalling of the troops, O Bhārata.

6.52.2 And the son of Śaṃtanu then formed the great battle-array of the Garuḍa, Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus, longing for the victory of your sons.

6.52.3 At Garuḍa's beak was your father Devavrata himself; as its two eyes were the son of Bhāradvāja and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas.

6.52.4 Aśvatthāman and Kṛpa, the two illustrious ones, stood at the head, joined by the Trigartas, the Matsyas, the Kekayas, and the Vāṭadhānas.

6.52.5 Bhūriśravas, Śala, Śalya, and Bhagadatta, my lord, the Madrakas, the Sindhu-Sauvīras, and the men of the Five Rivers,

6.52.6 together with Jayadratha, were stationed at the neck; at the back was King Duryodhana, surrounded by his brothers and his followers.

6.52.7 Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and the Kāmboja chief with the Śakas, formed the tail, O great king, and the Śūrasenas as well in their entirety.

6.52.8 The Māgadhas and the Kaliṅgas, with the hosts of the Dāśerakas, taking up the right wing of the array, stood there clad in armor.

6.52.9 The Kānanas and the Vikuñjas, the Muktas, and the Puṇḍrāviṣas, together with Bṛhadbala, took up the left wing.

6.52.10 Seeing that host marshalled, Savyasācin, the scorcher of foes, together with Dhṛṣṭadyumna, drew up his counter-array in the battle, opposing that most terrible formation with an array in the shape of a crescent moon.

6.52.11 Holding the right horn, Bhīmasena shone resplendent, surrounded by kings of many lands furnished with floods of diverse weapons.

6.52.12 Next to him came Virāṭa and Drupada, the great car-warrior; and immediately after them stood Nīla with his blue-armored troops.

6.52.13 Next after Nīla stood Dhṛṣṭaketu, the great car-warrior, encompassed by the Cedis, the Kāśis, the Karūṣas, and the Pauravas.

6.52.14 Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍin, with the Pāñcālas and the Prabhadrakas, stood in the center of the great host, ready for battle, O Bhārata.

6.52.15 Likewise the King of Righteousness, encompassed by his division of elephants; and then, O king, Sātyaki and the five sons of Draupadī.

6.52.16 Then Abhimanyu close at hand, and Irāvat beyond him, and then the son of Bhīmasena, O king, and the Kekaya princes, those great car-warriors.

6.52.17 Then the best of two-footed beings took the left flank, the guardian of all the world, whose own guardian was Janārdana.

6.52.18 Thus did the Pāṇḍavas draw up this great counter-array, for the destruction of your sons and of those who had joined their side.

6.52.19 Then the battle began, with chariots and elephants entangled together, as your men and the foe struck down one another.

6.52.20 Floods of horses and floods of chariots, O lord of peoples, were seen rushing together here and there, striking one another down.

6.52.21 From the streaming masses of chariots, racing onward and striking down each its own foe, there arose a tumultuous din mingled with the booming of war-drums.

6.52.22 In that exceedingly tumultuous clash, O Bhārata, as the heroic men slew one another—yours and theirs alike—the uproar touched the very heavens.

6.53.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, when the armies were arrayed—both yours and the others'—Dhanaṃjaya, that surpassing chariot-warrior, smote your host of chariots, O Bhārata, felling the leaders of chariot-bands with his arrows in the battle.

6.53.2 Slaughtered by Pārtha as though by Time itself at the dissolution of an age, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, straining hard in the fight, battled back against the Pāṇḍavas, seeking blazing glory and making death their only retreat.

6.53.3 With single-minded resolve they shattered the Pāṇḍava host again and again, O king, and were themselves shattered in turn in the combat.

6.53.4 With the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas now fleeing, now broken, now wheeling about to charge again, nothing whatever could be made out.

6.53.5 A dust rose up from the earth that veiled the sun, and there none could in any way distinguish the quarters or the intermediate quarters of the sky.

6.53.6 By guesswork, by watchwords, and by names and lineages the fighting was carried on then, here and there, O lord of peoples.

6.53.7 There the battle-array of the Kauravas could in no way be broken, guarded as it was by the wise Bhāradvāja, true to his word.

6.53.8 In like manner the great array of the Pāṇḍavas, guarded by Savyasācin and well protected by Bhīma, could not be pierced.

6.53.9 Sallying forth from the front of the host, the men fought there, O king, the chariots and elephants of both armies locked together in the fray.

6.53.10 In that great battle horsemen were brought down by horsemen with bright-pointed lances and with javelins in the fight.

6.53.11 Closing with a chariot-warrior, a chariot-warrior felled him with gold-adorned arrows in that exceedingly terrible battle.

6.53.12 Elephant-riders, locked in combat, brought down elephant-riders in companies—yours and theirs alike—with iron shafts, arrows, and lances.

6.53.13 Bands of foot-soldiers in the fray, exhilarated and bearing mutual wrongs, struck down foot-soldiers with slings and battle-axes.

6.53.14 In the encounter a foot-soldier felled a chariot-warrior, and a chariot-warrior too a foot-soldier, with sharpened weapons, on both sides alike.

6.53.15 Elephant-riders then brought down horsemen, and horsemen those mounted on elephants; and this seemed a marvel.

6.53.16 By foremost elephant-riders foot-soldiers were seen struck down here and there, and by those foot-soldiers in turn the elephant-warriors.

6.53.17 Bands of foot-soldiers being felled by horsemen, and bands of cavalry by foot-soldiers, were seen by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.53.18 With banners cast down there, with bows and lances, with javelins and maces, with iron clubs and tremor-shafts,

6.53.19 with spears and gleaming variegated coats of mail, with barbed darts and goads, with bright swords, and with gold-feathered arrows,

6.53.20 with horse-cloths and elephant-housings and costly blankets, the earth shone, O best of the Bhāratas, as though figured all over with wreaths and garlands.

6.53.21 With the fallen bodies of men and horses, and with elephants, in that great battle the earth became impassable, miry with flesh and blood.

6.53.22 The dust of the earth, drenched with the blood of battle, settled, and all the quarters became clear, O lord of men.

6.53.23 Headless trunks beyond counting rose up on every side, become as it were portents foretelling the destruction of the world, O Bhārata.

6.53.24 As that most fearsome and dreadful battle was raging, chariot-warriors were seen racing about on every side.

6.53.25 Then Droṇa and Bhīṣma, and Jayadratha lord of the Sindhus, Purumitra and Vikarṇa, and Śakuni son of Subala—

6.53.26 these, unassailable in battle and lion-like in prowess, shattered the ranks of the Pāṇḍavas again and again.

6.53.27 In like manner Bhīmasena too, and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, Sātyaki and Cekitāna, and the sons of Draupadī, O Bhārata,

6.53.28 drove your men and your sons, together with all the kings, in flight upon the field, as the thirty gods rout the dānavas.

6.53.29 Thus those bulls among warriors, slaying one another in the fight, drenched with blood and dreadful of aspect, shone like dānavas.

6.53.30 Having vanquished their foes, the heroic high officers of both armies were seen like planets in the vault of heaven.

6.53.31 Then your son Duryodhana, with a thousand chariots, advanced upon the Pāṇḍavas in battle and upon the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca.

6.53.32 In like manner all the Pāṇḍavas, with a mighty host, advanced to meet the valiant, foe-subduing Droṇa and Bhīṣma in the battle.

6.53.33 The Diademed One, enraged, advanced against the most capable of kings, while the son of Arjuna and Sātyaki advanced against the host of Subala's son.

6.53.34 Then once more there arose a hair-raising combat between your men and the foe, each striving for victory in the fight.

6.54.1 Saṃjaya said: Then those kings, enraged at the sight of Phalguna in the battle, surrounded him on every side with many thousands of chariots.

6.54.2 And having penned him in, O Bhārata, within a ring of chariots, they hemmed him about on every side with many thousands of arrows.

6.54.3 Bright sharp spears, maces and iron bludgeons, javelins and battle-axes, mallets and pestles too—enraged, they hurled them all in the battle against the chariot of Phalguna.

6.54.4 That downpour of weapons, sweeping on like a swarm of locusts, Pārtha checked on every side with his gold-adorned arrows.

6.54.5 Beholding there that more-than-human dexterity of Bībhatsu, the gods, dānavas, and gandharvas, the piśācas, serpents, and rākṣasas honored Phalguna, O lord of kings, crying 'Well done! Well done!'

6.54.6 And the valiant Gāndhāras, together with the sons of Subala, with a great host beset Sātyaki and Abhimanyu in the battle.

6.54.7 There the enraged followers of Subala's son, in their wrath, cut the splendid chariot of the Vārṣṇeya to bits in the fight with weapons of every kind.

6.54.8 But Sātyaki, scorcher of foes, abandoning his chariot amid that great peril, swiftly mounted the chariot of Abhimanyu.

6.54.9 The two of them, joined upon a single chariot, swiftly shattered the host of Subala's son with sharp, smooth-jointed arrows.

6.54.10 Droṇa and Bhīṣma, straining hard in the battle, laid waste the host of the King of Righteousness with keen, heron-feathered arrows.

6.54.11 Then the royal son of Dharma and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī, before the eyes of all the troops, charged the array of Droṇa.

6.54.12 There ensued a vast, tumultuous, hair-raising battle, as dreadful as was of old the war between the gods and the asuras.

6.54.13 As Bhīmasena and Ghaṭotkaca were performing mighty deeds, Duryodhana then came up and beset them both.

6.54.14 There we beheld the marvelous prowess of Hiḍimbā's son, in that he fought in the battle surpassing even his father, O Bhārata.

6.54.15 But Bhīmasena, greatly enraged, smote the unforgiving Duryodhana in the breast with a shaft, the Pāṇḍava as it were laughing the while.

6.54.16 Then King Duryodhana, stunned by that grievous blow, sank down upon the floor of his chariot and fell into a swoon.

6.54.17 Then his charioteer, perceiving him senseless, in haste bore him away from the battle, O king; and thereupon the army broke apart.

6.54.18 Then Bhīma, smiting with keen arrows that Kaurava host as it fled on every side, pursued it from behind.

6.54.19 And the son of Pṛṣata, foremost of chariot-warriors, and the Pāṇḍava son of Dharma, while Droṇa looked on and the son of Gaṅgā looked on, struck down the host with keen shafts that scatter the ranks of the foe.

6.54.20 That host of your son, fleeing in the battle, the great chariot-warriors Bhīṣma and Droṇa were not able to stay.

6.54.21 For though held back by Bhīṣma and by Droṇa, O lord of peoples, that host kept fleeing on, even as Droṇa and Bhīṣma looked on.

6.54.22 Then, as thousands of chariots fled this way and that, the son of Subhadrā and the bull of the Śini line, mounted upon a single chariot, hewed down the host of Subala's son on every side in the battle.

6.54.23 Those two then, the scion of the Śinis and the bull of the Kurus, shone forth like the moon and the sun met together in the sky on the night of the new moon.

6.54.24 Then Arjuna, enraged, rained upon your host, O lord of peoples, a shower of arrows, as a rain-cloud pours down its streams.

6.54.25 Slaughtered by Pārtha's arrows in the battle, the Kaurava host then fled, trembling with despair and terror.

6.54.26 Beholding them in flight, the great chariot-warriors Bhīṣma and Droṇa, wrought up and seeking Duryodhana's welfare, sought to stay them.

6.54.27 Then King Duryodhana, having recovered his senses, O lord of peoples, turned back that host which was fleeing on every side.

6.54.28 Wherever any man caught sight of your son, O Bhārata, there the great chariot-warriors among the warriors turned back.

6.54.29 Seeing those turn back, the other men too then took their stand—some out of rivalry with one another, O king, and others out of shame.

6.54.30 As they returned, their onrush was such, O lord of peoples, as is the swelling of the ocean at the rising of the moon.

6.54.31 Then King Suyodhana, seeing them rallied, went in haste to Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, and spoke these words.

6.54.32 Grandsire, mark what I shall say to you, O Bhārata. I deem it unbecoming, O Kaurava, while you yet live—

6.54.33 and while Droṇa, foremost of those skilled in arms, lives with his son and his friends, and Kṛpa the mighty archer—that this army of ours should flee.

6.54.34 The Pāṇḍavas are in no way a match for you, O king, nor in battle for Droṇa, nor for Droṇa's son, nor for Kṛpa.

6.54.35 Surely the sons of Pāṇḍu are objects of your favor, O grandsire, since you suffer, O hero, this army to be slaughtered.

6.54.36 You should have told me, O king, even before the encounter: 'I will not fight the Pāṇḍavas in battle, nor the son of Pṛṣata, nor Sātyaki.'

6.54.37 Hearing such a word from you, from the preceptor, and from Kṛpa, I should then and there, together with Karṇa, have pondered what was to be done.

6.54.38 If I am not to be forsaken by you two here in the battle, then fight, O bulls among men, with prowess befitting you.

6.54.39 Hearing these words, Bhīṣma, laughing again and again, his eyes rolling with anger, spoke to your son.

6.54.40 Many a time, O king, have I spoken to you the truthful and salutary word: the Pāṇḍavas are unconquerable in battle, even by the gods together with Vāsava.

6.54.41 Yet what I, an old man, am able to do this day, O best of kings, I shall do to the utmost of my power. Behold it now with your kinsmen.

6.54.42 This day, before the eyes of all, I shall hold back all the sons of Pāṇḍu, with their troops and their kinsmen, while the whole world looks on.

6.54.43 When Bhīṣma had thus spoken, O lord of men, your sons, filled with joy, blew their conches and beat their drums loudly.

6.54.44 And the Pāṇḍavas too, O king, on hearing that mighty din, blew their conches and sounded their kettledrums and tabours.

6.55.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: When Bhīṣma had taken his vow in that most terrible battle, having been provoked to wrath—especially by my grieving son—

6.55.2 what then did Bhīṣma do among the Pāṇḍavas, O Saṃjaya, and what did the Pāñcālas do against the grandsire? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.55.3 Saṃjaya said: When the greater part of the forenoon of that day had passed, O Bhārata, and the great-souled Pāṇḍavas, having gained the advantage, were exultant,

6.55.4 your father Devavrata, knower of all the finer points of duty, advanced with swift horses against the host of the Pāṇḍavas, guarded by a great army and by your sons on every side.

6.55.5 Then there began a tumultuous, hair-raising battle between us and the Pāṇḍavas, born of your folly, O Bhārata.

6.55.6 From the twanging of bows and the clapping of bowstring-guards there arose a mighty sound there, as of mountains splitting apart.

6.55.7 "Stand! I am standing! Strike this man! Turn back! Hold firm! I am at my post! Smite away!"—such cries were heard on every side.

6.55.8 Upon the golden coats of mail, the diadems, and the banners there arose a clatter, like that of rocks falling upon mountains.

6.55.9 Heads cut off and ornamented arms, fallen by the hundreds and by the thousands, writhed upon the ground when they reached it.

6.55.10 Some of those foremost of men, though their heads had been struck off, stood yet with bows raised and weapons grasped firm.

6.55.11 A river of swift current began to flow, bearing blood, dreadful with the limbs of elephants for its rocks, its mire of flesh and gore.

6.55.12 Springing then from the bodies of fine horses, men, and elephants, it flowed toward the ocean of the other world, gladdening vultures and jackals.

6.55.13 Never was such a battle seen or heard of, O king, as that of your sons and of the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.

6.55.14 No path remained there for chariots, so covered was it with warriors struck down in the fight and with fallen dark elephants, like mountain peaks.

6.55.15 With scattered, gleaming mail, with banners and parasols, O sire, that field of battle shone like the vault of heaven in autumn.

6.55.16 Some, pierced through by arrows and dragging their wounds in their last agony, yet fearless and mailed, rushed upon the foe in battle.

6.55.17 "Father! Brother! Friend! Kinsman! Comrade! My uncle! Do not abandon me!"—so cried others who had fallen in the fight.

6.55.18 "Charge! Come on! Do not flee! Why are you afraid? Where are you going? I stand here in the battle—fear not!"—thus others cried aloud.

6.55.19 There Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, his bow ever bent into a circle, loosed arrows blazing at the tips, like venomous serpents.

6.55.20 Making all the quarters one solid mass of arrows, that firm-vowed one slew the chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, marking out one after another, O Bhārata.

6.55.21 Dancing, as it were, upon his chariot-platform and displaying the swiftness of his hands, he appeared here and there, O king, like a whirling firebrand.

6.55.22 That single hero in battle the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas beheld, by reason of his swiftness, as if he were many hundreds of thousands.

6.55.23 They reckoned Bhīṣma there to have multiplied himself by magic; for having seen him in the east, men beheld him in the west.

6.55.24 Beholding him in the north, they saw him again in the south, O lord; thus did that hero, the son of Gaṅgā, show himself in the battle.

6.55.25 None among the Pāṇḍavas was able even to look upon him; they saw only the many shafts loosed from Bhīṣma's bow.

6.55.26 Beholding him working his feats in battle and destroying their host—your father ranging there in superhuman form—the heroes in that fight wailed aloud in many ways and grievously.

6.55.27 Like locusts, the kings fell, driven on by fate, by the thousands into the wrathful fire that was Bhīṣma, to their own destruction.

6.55.28 For no shaft of Bhīṣma's was ever in vain in that combat; piercing keenly, by reason of the multitude of bodies of men, elephants, and horses, none missed its mark.

6.55.29 With a single well-loosed feathered arrow he would pierce an elephant's mail and armour, as a thunderbolt cleaves the loftiest mountain.

6.55.30 Two and even three elephant-riders, packed close together and armoured though they were, your father slew with a single keen iron shaft.

6.55.31 Whoever came against Bhīṣma, that tiger among men, in the fight, was seen by me but for a moment, and then beheld struck down upon the earth.

6.55.32 Thus that great army of the Dharma-king, slaughtered by Bhīṣma of matchless valour, was shattered into a thousand pieces.

6.55.33 That mighty host, scorched by the rain of arrows, was scattered before the very eyes of Vāsudeva and of the great-souled Pārtha.

6.55.34 Though they strove, those heroes, tormented by Bhīṣma's arrows, could not check the great chariot-warriors who were fleeing.

6.55.35 Slaughtered by him whose valour equalled great Indra's, the mighty host broke, O great king, and not even two fled together.

6.55.36 With its men, elephants, and horses pierced through, its banners and chariot-poles fallen, the army of Pāṇḍu's sons grew senseless and broke into cries of woe.

6.55.37 There, compelled by the force of fate, father slew son and son slew father, and friend struck down his dear friend amid the wailing.

6.55.38 Others among the soldiers of Pāṇḍu's son were seen casting off their armour and fleeing with hair dishevelled, O Bhārata.

6.55.39 Like a herd of cattle in panic, its chariot-leaders thrown into confusion, the army of Pāṇḍu's son was then seen, raised in cries of anguish.

6.55.40 Seeing that army breaking apart, the son of Devakī, reining in the splendid chariot, spoke to Pārtha, the Bībhatsu:

6.55.41 "The hour has come, O Pārtha, that you have longed for. Strike at him, O tiger among men, unless you are bewildered by delusion!

6.55.42 What you declared of old, O hero, in the assembly of kings—that you would slay all the warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, headed by Bhīṣma and Droṇa,

6.55.43 with their followers—all who would do battle with me—that make true now, O son of Kuntī, that word of yours, O scorcher of foes!"

6.55.44 "O Bībhatsu, behold your own army breaking on every side, and all the lords of earth in Yudhiṣṭhira's host taking to flight.

6.55.45 For seeing Bhīṣma in battle, like Death with jaws agape, they perish in their terror, as little beasts before a lion."

6.55.46 Thus addressed, Dhanaṃjaya answered Vāsudeva: "Plunging into this ocean of troops, drive the horses to where Bhīṣma is."

6.55.47 Then Mādhava urged on the silver-hued steeds toward where Bhīṣma's chariot stood, O king, hard to gaze upon as the radiant sun.

6.55.48 Then that great host of Yudhiṣṭhira rallied once more, seeing the mighty-armed Pārtha rising up against Bhīṣma in the battle.

6.55.49 Then Bhīṣma, foremost of the Kurus, roaring again and again like a lion, swiftly covered the chariot of Dhanaṃjaya with showers of arrows.

6.55.50 In a moment that chariot of his, with its horses and its driver, veiled by the great rain of shafts, was no longer to be seen.

6.55.51 But Vāsudeva, unflinching, holding firm with steadfast resolve, urged on those horses, sorely wounded by Bhīṣma's arrows.

6.55.52 Then Pārtha, taking up his celestial bow that roared like a thundercloud, cut Bhīṣma's bow with three arrows and brought it down.

6.55.53 His bow thus severed, the Kaurava—your father—in the mere span between two blinks strung yet another great bow.

6.55.54 Then with both arms he drew that bow that thundered like a cloud; but Arjuna, wrathful, cut that bow of his too.

6.55.55 The son of Śaṃtanu applauded that swiftness of his: "Well done, mighty-armed Pārtha! Well done, O delight of Pāṇḍu!

6.55.56 In you alone, Dhanaṃjaya, does this great feat befit. I am exceedingly pleased, my son—do battle with me!"

6.55.57 Thus praising Pārtha, the hero took up another great bow and loosed his shafts in battle against Pārtha's chariot.

6.55.58 Vāsudeva displayed the highest skill in the driving of the steeds; rendering his shafts vain, he wheeled deftly in circling courses.

6.55.59 Even so, Bhīṣma pierced both Vāsudeva and Dhanaṃjaya hard with whetted arrows in every limb, O sire.

6.55.60 Those two tigers among men, gashed by Bhīṣma's shafts, shone like two bellowing bulls scored and marked by each other's horns.

6.55.61 And once again, greatly enraged and furious in the fight, Bhīṣma with smooth-jointed arrows shut off all the quarters around the two Kṛṣṇas.

6.55.62 Wrathful, he made the Vārṣṇeya tremble with keen shafts, while Bhīṣma, smiling again and again, laughed aloud the while.

6.55.63 Then Kṛṣṇa, the mighty-armed, beholding in battle the prowess of Bhīṣma, and marking the gentleness of Pārtha's fighting,

6.55.64 and seeing Bhīṣma pouring forth showers of arrows ceaselessly in the fight, blazing like the sun as he reached the midst between the two armies,

6.55.65 striking down the best and bravest of the soldiers of Pāṇḍu's son, working as it were the end of an age upon Yudhiṣṭhira's host—

6.55.66 the blessed Keśava, slayer of hostile heroes, no longer able to bear it, that one of measureless soul, thought: "Yudhiṣṭhira's army is as good as no more.

6.55.67 For in a single day Bhīṣma could destroy in battle the gods and dānavas—how much more the sons of Pāṇḍu, with their forces and their followers!

6.55.68 The great army of the high-souled Pāṇḍava is fleeing; and these Kauravas, seeing the Somakas swiftly broken, rush forward in the fight exultant, gladdening the grandsire.

6.55.69 I myself will slay Bhīṣma this day for the Pāṇḍavas' sake, girt in mail; this burden of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas I shall lift away."

6.55.70 Arjuna too, struck by the keen arrows in the combat, knew not what he should do in the fight, out of reverence for Bhīṣma.

6.55.71 As he was thinking thus, the grandsire, enraged, once more let fly his arrows against Pārtha's chariot.

6.55.72 By the very multitude of those arrows all the quarters were utterly veiled; neither sky nor quarters nor earth could be seen, nor the garland-rayed sun; tumultuous winds laden with smoke arose, and all the quarters were thrown into turmoil.

6.55.73 Droṇa and Vikarṇa, and Jayadratha, Bhūriśravas, Kṛtavarman, and Kṛpa, King Śrutāyus and the lord of the Ambaṣṭhas, and Vinda and Anuvinda, and Sudakṣiṇa,

6.55.74 and all the men of the East and the hosts of the Sauvīras, the Vasātis, and the Kṣudrakas and Mālavas—obedient to the command of King Śaṃtanu's son—hastened against the Diademed One.

6.55.75 The grandson of Śini beheld the Diademed One being hemmed in by floods and nets of horse, foot, and chariots, by many hundreds of thousands, and by leaders of elephant-herds.

6.55.76 Then, seeing Arjuna and Vāsudeva, those foremost of weapon-bearers, beset on every side by foot, elephants, horse, and chariots, the hero of the Śinis swiftly advanced.

6.55.77 That mighty bowman, the hero of the Śinis, rushing suddenly upon those hosts, came to Arjuna's aid, as Viṣṇu once aided the slayer of Vṛtra.

6.55.78 Beholding the army of Yudhiṣṭhira, its masses of elephants, horses, chariots, and banners shattered, all its warriors terrified by Bhīṣma, fleeing away, the hero of the Śinis spoke:

6.55.79 "Whither do you go, O kṣatriyas? This is no righteous course; it was proclaimed by the ancients before all good men. Do not forsake your vow, O heroes; uphold your own warrior's duty!"

6.55.80 When the younger brother of Vāsava beheld those foremost of kings fleeing on every side, and marked the slackness of Pārtha's fighting, and saw Bhīṣma rising up in the battle,

6.55.81 then that great-souled lord of all the Dāśārhas, no longer brooking it, looked upon the Kurus rushing on from every quarter and, in praise, spoke to the illustrious grandson of Śini:

6.55.82 "Let those who flee flee on, O hero of Śini's line; and those who yet stand firm, O Sātvata, let them go too. Behold Bhīṣma flung down from his car by me this day, and Droṇa with his hosts brought low in the battle."

6.55.83 "Not one warrior of that host of the Kauravas, O Sātvata, shall escape me in my wrath upon the field this day. Therefore, taking up my terrible discus, I shall take the life of him of the mighty vow."

6.55.84 "Having slain Bhīṣma with his hosts in the battle, and Droṇa too, that foremost of warriors, O grandson of Śini, I shall do a pleasing thing for Dhanaṃjaya, and for the king, and for Bhīma, and for the twin sons of the Aśvins."

6.55.85 "Having slain all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and those foremost of kings who hold to their side, I shall this day, rejoicing, establish King Ajātaśatru in his kingdom."

6.55.86 Then the son of Vāsudeva, leaping down from the chariot and loosing his steeds, raised in his arm the fair-naved discus, bright as the sun, of might equal to the thunderbolt, its edge keen as a razor.

6.55.87 Making the earth tremble with his steps, the great-souled Kṛṣṇa rushed with fury upon Bhīṣma, swollen with pride in the fray, as a lion bent on slaying springs upon a lordly elephant blind with rut.

6.55.88 He, the destroyer, the younger brother of mighty Indra, in his wrath bore down upon Bhīṣma amid the host; his trailing yellow-bordered garment streaming, he blazed like a cloud in the sky wreathed about with lightning's flash.

6.55.89 And the Sudarśana of that descendant of Śūra shone forth—that lotus-discus whose stalk was his strong and mighty arm; like the primeval lotus of the hue of the young sun, it shone, born from the navel of Nārāyaṇa.

6.55.90 That lotus, opened by the rising sun of Kṛṣṇa's wrath, its petals fair-formed with edges sharp as razors, grown upon the broad lake of his very body, shone forth, with the arm of Nārāyaṇa for its stalk.

6.55.91 Seeing the younger brother of mighty Indra wrathful, discus in hand and roaring aloud, all beings cried out in dread, thinking, "This is the doom of the Kurus."

6.55.92 That Vāsudeva, discus grasped in hand, as though about to dissolve the world of the living, springing forward, the teacher of the worlds shone like the fire of Time that would consume all creatures.

6.55.93 Beholding that god, the best of two-footed beings, rushing on with discus seized in hand, the son of Śaṃtanu, bow and arrow in hand, standing in his chariot, without dismay addressed him:

6.55.94 "Come, come, O Lord of the gods, dwelling-place of the worlds! Homage be to thee, O wielder of Śārṅga and the discus! By force cast me down, O Lord of the worlds, from this noblest of cars, O refuge of all beings, here in the battle."

6.55.95 "Slain by thee this day, O Kṛṣṇa, mine shall be blessedness here and in the world beyond. By thy onset, O lord of the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis, I am honored, O hero, throughout the three worlds."

6.55.96 Then Pārtha too, leaping in haste from his chariot and running after that hero of the Yadus, seized Hari—him of stout, long, full-hanging arms—by the arms, himself broad-armed and powerful.

6.55.97 Though held back, that primeval god, the great yogin, sorely wrathful indeed, Viṣṇu, with violence dragged Jiṣṇu along with him, as a great wind drags a lone tree.

6.55.98 But Pārtha, planting his feet with might, the diademed and garlanded one, by force held back him who was swiftly rushing toward Bhīṣma—at the tenth step, O king, and that only with difficulty.

6.55.99 And when Kṛṣṇa stood still, Arjuna, garlanded with a wreath of wrought gold, bowed low and, well pleased, said: "Draw back thy wrath. Thou, O Keśava, art the refuge of the Pāṇḍavas."

6.55.100 "The deed shall not be left undone according to my vow—I swear it by my sons and by my brothers, O Keśava. I shall make an end of the Kurus, urged on by thee, O younger brother of Indra."

6.55.101 Then Janārdana, his mind made glad to hear that vow and pledge, abiding by the wish of the best of the Kauravas, mounted the chariot once more, his discus still in hand.

6.55.102 Taking up the reins again and seizing his conch, that slayer of foes, the descendant of Śūra, made the quarters resound with the blast of Pāñcajanya.

6.55.103 With necklace, armlets, and earrings tossed awry, his curved lashes and eyes besprent with dust, his teeth gleaming bright, the conch grasped in his hand—seeing him, the heroes of the Kurus cried aloud.

6.55.104 Then the din of tabors, kettledrums, and war-drums, the rumble of chariot-wheels and the boom of great drums, and fierce lion-roars arose throughout all the hosts of the Kurus.

6.55.105 The twang of Pārtha's Gāṇḍīva, like rolling thunder, went forth to the sky and to all the quarters; and the bright, clear shafts loosed from the Pāṇḍava's bow flew to every region.

6.55.106 Against him the lord of the Kauravas, with his force, together with Bhīṣma and Bhūriśravas, advanced, arrow uplifted in hand, like fire eager to consume dry grass.

6.55.107 Then Bhūriśravas hurled at Arjuna seven golden-feathered broad-arrows, Duryodhana a fierce-speeding javelin, Śalya a mace, and the son of Śaṃtanu a spear.

6.55.108 With seven shafts he warded off the seven choice arrows loosed by Bhūriśravas, and with a keen razor-edged shaft he cut down that javelin sped from Duryodhana's arm.

6.55.109 Then the hero, with two shafts, cut asunder the bright spear, gleaming like lightning, hurled by the son of Śaṃtanu, and the mace flung from the arm of the lord of the Madras.

6.55.110 Then, drawing back mightily with both arms his wondrous, immeasurable Gāṇḍīva bow, he brought forth, duly and according to rite, the terrible weapon of mighty Indra, marvelous, into the sky.

6.55.111 With that supreme weapon the great-souled bearer of the mighty bow, the diademed and garlanded one, held back all the hosts with floods and nets of arrows bright as the hue of flame.

6.55.112 The arrows loosed from Pārtha's bow, having cleft chariots, banner-tops, bows, and arms, pierced into the bodies of the foe—of lordly men, lordly elephants, and horses.

6.55.113 Then Pārtha, the diademed and garlanded one, covering the quarters and the intermediate quarters with keen, well-edged shafts, with the sound of the Gāṇḍīva made their hearts to quail.

6.55.114 As that most dreadful tumult was unleashed, the blare of conches, the boom of drums, and the fierce war-cries were swallowed up and silenced by the twang of the Gāṇḍīva.

6.55.115 Then, recognizing that sound of the Gāṇḍīva, the warrior-heroes led by King Virāṭa, and the king of the Pāñcālas, the valiant Drupada, came to that place, undaunted in spirit.

6.55.116 But all thy hosts, wherever rose the roar born of the Gāṇḍīva, there and thither only gave way; not one came up against him in opposition.

6.55.117 In that most terrible clash of kings, foremost warriors were slain together with their cars and charioteers, and elephants, scorched by the fall of iron shafts, bearing great banners and bright golden girths,

6.55.118 their strength spent, fell suddenly to the ground, their armor and bodies rent by the diademed one, struck hard by Pārtha's feathered shafts of fierce velocity, by keen broad-arrows with sharpened points.

6.55.119 Their frames cut through, their base-pegs shattered, the great banners at the forefront of the armies, and the bands of foot-soldiers and the chariots in the battle, and the horses and elephants—all by Dhanaṃjaya,

6.55.120 struck by arrows, their strength swiftly fled, their limbs grown rigid, fell upon the earth, their armor and bodies riven, O king, by that supreme weapon of Indra in the great battle.

6.55.121 Then by the diademed one, with floods of keen shafts, a most dreadful river was set flowing there upon the field of battle—its waters the blood streaming from the weapon-gashed bodies of men, its foam the bodies of men.

6.55.122 With a violent current, broad in its flow, it streamed forth in a shape of terrible roaring, its course dammed by the corpses of slain elephants and horses, its mire of flesh laden with the entrails and marrow of men.

6.55.123 Thronged by hosts of demons and goblins, its grassy banks strewn with skulls and tangled hair, bearing along thousands of heaped corpses, churning with a tumult of waves of shattered armor of every kind,

6.55.124 its gravel the cut bones of men, horses, and elephants, with the abyss of destruction for its depths, fearful to behold—that river, beset by rows of herons, by vultures and ospreys, by packs of carrion-eaters and hyenas,

6.55.125 its banks crowded, they beheld on every side—cruel, with the semblance of the great Vaitaraṇī, set flowing by the volleys of Arjuna's arrows, streaming with fat, marrow, and blood, most terrible.

6.55.126 Those Cedis, Pāñcālas, Karūṣas, and Matsyas, and all the sons of Pṛthā together, roared aloud, scattering in terror the army of the host-commanders, as a lion the gathered herds of deer; and those two, filled with surpassing joy, sounded forth—the bearer of the Gāṇḍīva and Janārdana.

6.55.127 Then, seeing the sun with its web of rays withdrawn, and gazing up at that Aindra weapon spread wide and most dreadful, unbearable, like the end of an age, their limbs sorely gashed by weapons,

6.55.128 the Kurus, with Bhīṣma, and with Droṇa, Duryodhana, and Bāhlika, made their retreat, seeing the night drawing on, edged with the reddish streaks of the fading sun.

6.55.129 And Dhanaṃjaya too, having won glory and renown in the world and vanquished his foes, his task accomplished, went at nightfall to the camp together with the kings and his brothers. Then arose a tumultuous and most dreadful clamor among the Kurus at the onset of night.

6.55.130 "In the battle Arjuna has slain ten thousand chariots, and seven hundred elephants have been killed; and all the Easterners and the bands of Sauvīras, and the Kṣudrakas and Mālavas, have been struck down. A great deed has been done by Dhanaṃjaya, such as none other could do."

6.55.131 "Śrutāyus, the king and lord of the Ambaṣṭhas, and likewise Durmarṣaṇa and Citrasena, Droṇa, Kṛpa, the Saindhava and Bāhlika, Bhūriśravas, Śalya and Śala, O king—all of them, with Bhīṣma, were vanquished by the might of his own arm, by the diademed one, that great warrior of the world."

6.55.132 Speaking thus, all thy troops, O Bhārata, went to their tents; and with thousands of well-kindled torches and with shining lamps, the army of the Kurus, all its warriors terrified by the diademed one, made its encampment.

6.56.1 Saṃjaya said: When the night had passed, O Bhārata, the great-souled Bhīṣma, his wrath kindled against the foe, marched at the forefront of the Bhārata armies toward his adversaries, surrounded by the whole of his force.

6.56.2 Him Droṇa, Duryodhana, and Bāhlika, and likewise Durmarṣaṇa and Citrasena, and the exceedingly mighty Jayadratha, and other kings besides, followed on every side with their floods of troops.

6.56.3 Encircled by those great and mighty warriors, glorious and valorous, O king, by those foremost of monarchs, O best of kings, he shone like the Wielder of the Thunderbolt amid the gods.

6.56.4 At the forefront of that host, fixed aloft and tossing in the wind, the great banners—deep red, yellow, black, and white of hue—set upon the shoulders of mighty elephants, blazed forth.

6.56.5 That host, with the kingly son of Śaṃtanu, with its great warriors, elephants, and horses, shone like a sky filled with new-gathered clouds at the coming of the rains, charged with lightning and thunder.

6.56.6 Then the most fierce army of the Kurus, guarded by the son of Śaṃtanu, set forth facing the battle, marching against Arjuna with sudden onrush, like the terrible flood of a great river.

6.56.7 That array—its hidden strength made of beasts of many kinds, its wings the masses of elephants, horses, foot-soldiers, and chariots, like a vast cloud—the great-souled one whose banner bore the monkey-king beheld from afar.

6.56.8 That bull among men, the hero, the great-souled one, went forth at the head of his army in his bannered, white-horsed, fenced chariot, set upon the slaughter of all his youthful foes.

6.56.9 Beholding in the battle that monkey-bannered car, well-equipped, with fine seat and pole, made ready and driven by the bull of the Yadus, thy Kauravas, together with thy sons, sank into despair upon the field.

6.56.10 Drawn onward, guarded by the diademed one with weapon uplifted, that great warrior of the world—thy men beheld that royal array, thronged with four times four thousand war-elephants.

6.56.11 Even as on the former day the array had been formed by the King of Righteousness, the delight of the Kurus, so, each coming to his appointed place, did the foremost of the Cedis stand together with the foremost of the Pāñcālas.

6.56.12 Then thousands of kettledrums, struck with mighty force, resounded in the battle, and the blare of conches and the boom of war-drums, with lion-roars, rose throughout all the hosts.

6.56.13 Then the loud-twanging bows, with their arrows, stretched taut by the heroes, in an instant swallowed up the din of kettledrums and tabors, and the great blare of the conches too.

6.56.14 Beholding the sky veiled with the sound of conches, the web of earthen dust swiftly raised aloft, its radiance spread out like a vast canopy, the heroes suddenly rushed upon one another.

6.56.15 Car-warrior, struck by car-warrior, fell with his charioteer, with his horses, his chariot, and his banner; elephant, struck by elephant, fell; and foot-soldier, struck by foot-soldier, fell.

6.56.16 Wheeling and charging, troops of noble steeds, wondrous to behold, gashed by arrows and smitten by lances and swords, fell upon other troops of noble steeds.

6.56.17 Shields adorned with clusters of golden stars, flung by the heroes and cleft asunder by battle-axes and lances and swords, fell upon the earth.

6.56.18 Some car-warriors, crushed with their charioteers by elephants with their tusks—those mighty trunk-hands—fell down; and bull-elephants too, struck by arrows from the foremost of car-warriors, sank upon the ground.

6.56.19 Hearing the wail of anguish of the young horsemen and foot-soldiers, beaten down by the tusks and bodies of the beasts, hurled and laid low by the rushing flood of elephants, men sank to the earth.

6.56.20 As elephants, horses, and chariots reeled in confusion, and a great terror was loosed among the young horsemen and foot-soldiers, Bhīṣma beheld him of the monkey-king banner being hemmed about by the great car-warriors.

6.56.21 Against that diademed one—whose path blazed with great weapons, arrows, and thunderbolts—the son of Śaṃtanu, his palm-tree banner raised five palm-trees high, borne on by the spirited speed of his noble steeds, rushed forward.

6.56.22 And likewise against the son of Indra, the peer of Śakra himself, there rushed those led by Droṇa—Kṛpa and Śalya and Viviṃśati, Duryodhana and the son of Somadatta, O king.

6.56.23 Then, coming forth from the van of the chariot-host, the hero Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, knower of all weapons, clad in armor wrought with gold, advanced with speed against them all.

6.56.24 Having struck down the great weapons of those great car-warriors, the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, untiring in his deeds, shone wreathed in flames fed by mighty incantations, like the lord Agni present at the sacrifice.

6.56.25 Then Bhīṣma, swiftly making a river whose waters were blood and whose foam was the slaughter of the foe, passed beyond the son of Subhadrā and, undaunted in spirit, advanced upon the great car-warrior Pārtha.

6.56.26 Then the diademed and garlanded one, laughing, with the great roar of the Gāṇḍīva, wondrous to behold, with a net of broad-headed shafts destroyed that net of mighty weapons.

6.56.27 Upon that Bhīṣma, the highest of all bearers of the bow, the great-souled one of the monkey-king banner, untiring in his deeds, swiftly rained down floods and nets of arrows and bright broad-shafts.

6.56.28 Such was that single combat between the two best of true men, fought without faintheartedness, terrible with the thunder of their bows: the whole world, and the Kurus and Sṛñjayas, beheld that duel of chariots waged by Bhīṣma and Dhanaṃjaya.

6.57.1 Saṃjaya said: Droṇa's son, Bhūriśravas, Śalya, and Citrasena, and the son of Saṃyamana too, O honored one, together gave battle to the son of Subhadrā.

6.57.2 The people watched him, alone and locked in fight with those five tigers among men of surpassing valor, as one might watch a lion's cub set upon by elephants.

6.57.3 In eluding aim, in heroism, in prowess, in mastery of weapons, and in nimbleness of hand, not one of them proved a match for the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister.

6.57.4 Beholding his son, that tamer of foes, displaying such prowess in the fight, Pārtha, intent in battle, then raised aloud a lion's roar.

6.57.5 Seeing your grandson harrying that host, O lord of peoples, your warriors, O king of kings, surrounded him on every side.

6.57.6 Undismayed, the bane of his enemies' spirit, the son of Subhadrā advanced to meet the bannered army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, with fiery energy and with strength.

6.57.7 As he fought his foes in battle, his great bow, kept ever in the path of swift movement and bright as the sun, was seen by all.

6.57.8 Piercing Droṇa's son with a single shaft and Śalya with five, with eight more he struck down the banner of Saṃyamana's son.

6.57.9 That mighty, gold-shafted spear, like a serpent, hurled at him by the son of Somadatta, he struck aside with a sharp winged arrow.

6.57.10 Warding off the hundreds of dreadful arrows that Śalya loosed, the heir of Arjuna slew his horses in the battle.

6.57.11 Bhūriśravas and Śalya, Droṇa's son, the son of Saṃyamana, and Śala—though furious, they could make no headway against the strength of the arm of Kṛṣṇa's nephew.

6.57.12 Then, O king of kings, the Trigartas and the Madras together with the Kekayas, five-and-thirty thousand strong, urged on by your son—

6.57.13 foremost masters of the science of archery, unconquerable by foes in battle—closed in around the Diademed One, who, with his son, sought to destroy them.

6.57.14 Those two bulls among charioteers, father and son, hemmed in there, the Pāñcāla commander, conqueror of foes, beheld, O king.

6.57.15 Encircled by many thousands of floods of elephants and chariots, encircled too by horsemen and footmen by the hundred thousand,

6.57.16 twanging his bow in wrath and urging on his host, that scorcher of foes advanced against that division of the Madrakas and the Kekayas.

6.57.17 Guarded by that glorious warrior of the steadfast bow, the division, with its chariots, elephants, and horses arrayed and eager for the fray, shone resplendent.

6.57.18 That Pāñcāla, O delight of the Kurus, struck the son of Śaradvat, who was advancing at the front toward Arjuna, with three arrows in the region of the collarbone.

6.57.19 Then, slaying the Madrakas with shafts by tens upon tens, exulting and alone, he slew with a broad-headed arrow the horse of Kṛtavarman.

6.57.20 And Damana, heir of the great-souled Paurava, that scorcher of foes slew with a broad-pointed iron shaft.

6.57.21 Then the son of Saṃyamana pierced the Pāñcāla, frenzied in battle, with thirty arrows, and his charioteer with ten.

6.57.22 Deeply wounded, that mighty bowman, licking the corners of his mouth, cut his foe's bow asunder with an exceedingly sharp broad-headed arrow.

6.57.23 Then swiftly he struck him with five-and-twenty shafts, and slew his horses, O king, and both his flank-guarding charioteers.

6.57.24 Standing in his chariot whose horses were slain, O bull of the Bhāratas, the son of Saṃyamana beheld the son of the great-souled Pāñcāla.

6.57.25 Seizing a most dreadful and excellent iron scimitar, on foot he swiftly rushed upon the son of Drupada who stood in his chariot.

6.57.26 As he came on like a great flood, like a serpent falling from the sky, whirling shield and scimitar, like Death loosed by Time itself,

6.57.27 blazing as it were with the flame of his weapon, with the stride of a maddened elephant—the Pāṇḍavas there beheld him, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata.

6.57.28 But as he ran headlong to the encounter, sharp scimitar in hand and bearing his shield, the son of the Pāñcāla king—

6.57.29 as he passed beyond the rush of arrows and drew near to the chariot, the commander in his wrath made haste and split his head with his mace.

6.57.30 As he was slain and fell, O king, his scimitar and his bright shield dropped swiftly from his hand to the ground.

6.57.31 Having slain him with the head of his mace, the great-souled son of the Pāñcāla king, of terrible prowess, won the highest glory.

6.57.32 When that mighty bowman, the prince and great car-warrior, was slain, a great cry of dismay arose from your army, O honored one.

6.57.33 Then the son of Saṃyamana, enraged at seeing his son slain, rushed with violence upon the Pāñcāla, that frenzied warrior.

6.57.34 Those two heroes, foremost of charioteers, met there in battle, and all the kings beheld them—the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas alike.

6.57.35 Then the wrathful son of Saṃyamana, slayer of enemy heroes, struck the son of Pṛṣata with three arrows, as one goads a great elephant with hooks.

6.57.36 Likewise Śalya, glorious in assemblies of battle, in his wrath struck the heroic son of Pṛṣata upon the breast; and thereupon the fight raged on.

6.58.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Fate, I think, is higher than even human effort, Saṃjaya, in that my son's army is being slaughtered by the army of Pāṇḍu's sons.

6.58.2 For always, my dear, you report my own men as slain, while ever you tell of the Pāṇḍavas as untroubled and exultant.

6.58.3 My own men, bereft of manly valor today, O Saṃjaya, you report as fallen, as being struck down, and as slain outright.

6.58.4 Though they fight to the utmost of their power and strive for victory, still the Pāṇḍavas conquer, and my own are vanquished.

6.58.5 And so I have heard without ceasing, my dear, of the bitter sorrows wrought by Duryodhana, sorrows past bearing and beyond number.

6.58.6 I can see no means whereby the Pāṇḍavas might be defeated, or whereby my own might win victory in the war, O Saṃjaya.

6.58.7 Saṃjaya said: Hear, O king, with a steady heart, of the destruction of the bodies of men and the destruction of elephants, horses, and chariots—the great ruin that is the fruit of your own misrule.

6.58.8 Dhṛṣṭadyumna, harried by Śalya with nine arrows, in his fury harried the lord of the Madras in turn with iron shafts.

6.58.9 There we beheld a marvel, the prowess of the son of Pṛṣata, in that he swiftly checked Śalya, the glory of the battle-line.

6.58.10 No one could see any opening in those two, furious in the fray; for a while the combat between them seemed evenly matched.

6.58.11 Then Śalya, O great king, in the encounter cut asunder the bow of Dhṛṣṭadyumna with a sharp, yellow-feathered broad-headed arrow.

6.58.12 And he covered him with a rain of arrows, O Bhārata, as the water-bearing clouds at the coming of the rains cover a mountain.

6.58.13 But Abhimanyu, enraged when Dhṛṣṭadyumna was thus hard pressed, rushed with violence against the chariot of the Madra king.

6.58.14 Then the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, of immeasurable spirit, reaching in great wrath the chariot of the Madra lord, pierced the son of Ṛtāyana with three arrows.

6.58.15 Then your men, O king, eager to lay hold of Arjuna's son in the battle, swiftly surrounded the chariot of the Madra king and took their stand.

6.58.16 Duryodhana and Vikarṇa, Duḥśāsana and Viviṃśati, Durmarṣaṇa and Duḥsaha, Citrasena and Durmukha,

6.58.17 and Satyavrata—bless you—and Purumitra, O Bhārata: these stood in the battle, guarding the chariot of the Madra lord.

6.58.18 Against them came Bhīmasena in his wrath, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata, the sons of Draupadī and Abhimanyu, and the two sons of Mādrī among the Pāṇḍavas,

6.58.19 loosing weapons of every kind, O lord of peoples, advancing in high exultation and seeking each other's death; and they met in combat, O king, because of your evil counsel.

6.58.20 While that terrible chariot-battle was being waged, the car-warriors of your side and of the enemy alike became mere onlookers.

6.58.21 Loosing weapons of many forms, those great car-warriors, roaring at one another, joined in the fierce encounter.

6.58.22 Intent and seized with fury, all of them eager to slay one another, hurling great missiles and unable to brook the affront, they fell upon each other.

6.58.23 Duryodhana, enraged, in that great battle pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna in haste and hard with four sharp arrows.

6.58.24 And Durmarṣaṇa pierced him with twenty arrows and Citrasena with five, Durmukha with nine and Duḥsaha with seven, Viviṃśati with five, and Duḥśāsana with three.

6.58.25 In return the son of Pṛṣata, that tormentor of foes, O king of kings, struck them back, each one with five-and-twenty arrows, displaying the nimbleness of his hand.

6.58.26 And in the battle, O Bhārata, Abhimanyu pierced Satyavrata and Purumitra, those two, with ten arrows each.

6.58.27 And the two sons of Mādrī, the delight of their mother, covered their maternal uncle in the battle with showers of arrows; and that was as it were a marvel.

6.58.28 Then Śalya, O great king, assailed his two sister's sons, those foremost of charioteers, with many arrows, each side bent on repaying blow for blow; yet though so covered, the two sons of Mādrī did not waver.

6.58.29 Then, catching sight of Duryodhana, the mighty Bhīmasena, that son of Pāṇḍu, wishing to make an end of the quarrel, took up his mace.

6.58.30 Seeing the mighty-armed Bhīmasena, mace raised on high like crested Kailāsa, your sons fled away in terror.

6.58.31 But Duryodhana, enraged, urged on the king of Magadha, with his division of ten thousand swift elephants; and placing the Magadha king in the van, he advanced upon Bhīmasena.

6.58.32 Seeing that host of elephants bearing down upon him, Vṛkodara, mace in hand, leapt down from his chariot, roaring aloud like a lion.

6.58.33 Grasping his great, heavy mace, hard as the core of a mountain, he ran upon the elephant-host like Death with gaping jaws.

6.58.34 Smiting the elephants with his mace, the mighty, great-armed Bhīmasena ranged over the field like Vāsava wielding the thunderbolt.

6.58.35 At the great roar of Bhīma as he bellowed, a roar that shook mind and heart, the elephants huddled together and writhed in confusion.

6.58.36 Then the sons of Draupadī, and the son of Subhadrā, that great car-warrior, and Nakula and Sahadeva, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata,

6.58.37 guarding Bhīma's rear, ran down upon the elephants with a rain of arrows, pouring it forth as clouds pour rain upon the mountains.

6.58.38 With razor-edged shafts and razor-tipped arrows, with broad-heads and yellow-feathered shafts and crescent-headed darts, the Pāṇḍavas struck down the heads of the elephant-riders.

6.58.39 With heads falling down, and with ornamented arms, and with hands still grasping their goads, it seemed as though a hail of stones were raining down.

6.58.40 The elephant-riders, their heads struck off, were seen upon the shoulders of the elephants like trees with broken crests upon mountain peaks.

6.58.41 And we saw other great elephants slain by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, fallen and being struck down by the great-souled son of Pṛṣata.

6.58.42 Then the king of Magadha, lord of the earth, sent an elephant like Airāvata in the battle against the chariot of the son of Subhadrā.

6.58.43 Beholding that splendid elephant of the Magadha king bearing down upon him, the heroic son of Subhadrā, slayer of enemy heroes, slew it with a single arrow.

6.58.44 As that king's elephant was brought low, the son of Kṛṣṇa, conqueror of hostile cities, struck off the king's head with a silver-feathered broad-arrow.

6.58.45 Bhīmasena the Pāṇḍava too, plunging into that host of elephants, ranged across the battle crushing the beasts as Indra shatters mountains.

6.58.46 In that battle we saw elephants felled by Bhīmasena with a single blow, like mountains smitten by the thunderbolt.

6.58.47 There lay the elephants slain, their tusks broken, their temples broken, their thighs broken, their backs broken, their frontal globes broken — each like a fallen mountain.

6.58.48 Other elephants we saw bellowing and sinking down, turning their backs upon the fight, voiding urine, shattered and panic-stricken, and yet others loosing their dung in terror.

6.58.49 Along Bhīmasena's paths we saw slain elephants huge as mountains, their life-breath gone, while still others lay groaning.

6.58.50 And other great elephants, their frontal globes split, vomiting blood, reeling, sank to the earth like crags toppling upon the ground.

6.58.51 His limbs smeared with fat and blood, drenched in marrow and grease, Bhīma ranged across the battle like Death himself, rod in hand.

6.58.52 Bearing that mace reddened with the blood of elephants, Vṛkodara was terrible and dreadful, like the wielder of the Pināka bearing his bow.

6.58.53 Churned by the wrathful Bhīmasena, the surviving tuskers fled headlong, trampling your own army as they went.

6.58.54 That hero, as he fought, the great bowmen and charioteers led by the son of Subhadrā guarded round about, as the immortals guard the wielder of the thunderbolt.

6.58.55 Bearing his blood-stained mace, drenched in the blood of elephants, Bhīmasena appeared, fierce of spirit, like the Ender of all things.

6.58.56 As he wielded his mace and strove in every quarter, O Bhārata, we saw him dancing as though it were Śaṃkara himself who danced.

6.58.57 We beheld, O great king, that fierce and slaughtering mace, heavy as the rod of Yama, ringing like the thunderbolt of Indra.

6.58.58 Clotted with hair and marrow and smeared with blood, it was like the Pināka of the wrathful Rudra as he strikes down living creatures.

6.58.59 As a herdsman drives a gathered flock before him with his staff, so did Bhīma drive the host of elephants before him with his mace.

6.58.60 Battered by his mace and by arrows on every side, your tuskers fled, trampling down your own divisions as they went.

6.58.61 Having scattered the elephants as a great wind scatters the clouds, Bhīma stood firm amid the tumult, like the trident-bearer in his burning-ground.

6.59.1 Saṃjaya said: When that host of elephants had been destroyed, your son Duryodhana urged on all his troops, crying, "Slay Bhīmasena!"

6.59.2 Then, at your son's command, all the divisions rushed upon Bhīmasena, who roared aloud with terrible cries.

6.59.3 That boundless flood of force, hard for even the gods to withstand, came rushing upon him, well-nigh impassable, like the sea swelling at the full moon.

6.59.4 Thronged with chariots, elephants, and horses, resounding with conch and kettledrum, endless and shoreless, with kings for its still deep pools —

6.59.5 that unshakable ocean of an army, like a second mighty deep, Bhīmasena held back in battle as the shore holds back the sea.

6.59.6 We beheld there a marvel, O king, credible yet wondrous — the more-than-human feat of Bhīmasena in battle.

6.59.7 The whole surging earth, with its horses, its chariots, and its elephants, Bhīmasena smote with his mace, undismayed.

6.59.8 Having stayed those floods of force with his mace, Bhīma, foremost of car-warriors, stood firm amid the tumult, unmoving as Mount Meru.

6.59.9 In that terrible and most dreadful hour of utmost tumult, his brothers and his sons, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata,

6.59.10 and the sons of Draupadī and Abhimanyu, and Śikhaṇḍin the great car-warrior — these did not forsake the mighty Bhīmasena, though terror had arisen.

6.59.11 Then, seizing his great heavy mace of wrought iron, he slew your warriors like Death rod in hand, the conqueror smashing the throngs of chariots and the throngs of horses.

6.59.12 Bhīma ranged across the battle like the fire at the end of an age, striking down all before him, mighty as Time at the dissolution of the world.

6.59.13 Dragging tangles of chariots along by the rush of his thighs, the Pāṇḍava crushed all the elephants as a tusker crushes beds of reeds.

6.59.14 He smote the car-warriors from their chariots, the elephant-fighters from their elephants, the horsemen from the backs of their steeds, and the foot-soldiers down upon the ground.

6.59.15 With men and elephants and horses slain here and there, that field of battle became like the very slaughter-house of Death.

6.59.16 Like the Pināka of the wrathful Rudra as he strikes down living creatures — fierce, like the rod of Yama, ringing like the thunderbolt of Indra — men beheld the dreadful, slaughtering mace of Bhīmasena.

6.59.17 As the great-souled son of Kuntī whirled his mace, his form blazed forth most terrible, like that of Time at the ending of an age.

6.59.18 Seeing him thus routing that mighty host again and again, coming on like Death itself, all grew downcast in spirit.

6.59.19 Wherever the Pāṇḍava looked as he raised his mace, in that very quarter all the troops were rent asunder, O Bhārata.

6.59.20 He clove the armies apart, unconquered amid that flood of force, devouring the divisions like the gaping-mouthed Ender.

6.59.21 Seeing Vṛkodara thus terrible in his deeds, his great mace upraised, Bhīṣma straightway rushed against him.

6.59.22 With his chariot loud as a great thundercloud and bright as the sun, he covered him with a rain of arrows, like the rain-laden cloud-god pouring down his showers.

6.59.23 Seeing him come on thus, like Death with gaping jaws, the mighty-armed Bhīma, brooking no rival, went forth to meet Bhīṣma.

6.59.24 In that moment Sātyaki, true to his pledge, the hero of Śini's line, fell upon the grandsire, smiting down his foes with his stout bow and making your son's army tremble.

6.59.25 As he came on with steeds gleaming like silver, hurling arrows from his stout bow, none of your own troops, O Bhārata, could turn him back in that hour.

6.59.26 Alambusa, son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, pierced him with the points of sharp arrows; but the hero, the grandson of Śini, struck back at him with four and bore down upon him with his chariot.

6.59.27 Marking the best of the Vṛṣṇis come on, wheeling about in the midst of his foes, putting to flight the bulls of the Kurus and roaring again and again in the fray —

6.59.28 none could check that peerless warrior, blazing like the noonday sun; and there was no one there unappalled, O king, save the son of Somadatta.

6.59.29 For Bhūriśravas, son of Somadatta, O Bhārata, taking up his bow of fierce force and seeing his own chariots borne away, went forth to meet Sātyaki, eager to fight.

6.60.1 Saṃjaya said: Then Bhūriśravas, O king, in furious wrath pierced Sātyaki with nine arrows, as one goads a great elephant with hooks.

6.60.2 And Sātyaki of measureless spirit, in the sight of all the host, covered that Kaurava in turn with smooth-jointed arrows.

6.60.3 Then King Duryodhana, surrounded by his brothers, intent in battle, ringed the son of Somadatta about on every side.

6.60.4 In the same way all the Pāṇḍavas of mighty vigor stood encircling the impetuous Sātyaki on every side in the fray.

6.60.5 But Bhīmasena, kindled with wrath, raising his mace, O Bhārata, beset all your sons with Duryodhana at their head.

6.60.6 With many thousands of chariots, filled with wrath and indignation, your son Nandaka pierced the mighty Bhīmasena with six sharp heron-feathered shafts whetted on stone.

6.60.7 And Duryodhana in battle, in his wrath, struck the mighty Bhīmasena upon the breast with three sharp arrows.

6.60.8 Then the mighty-armed Bhīma of great strength mounted his own excellent chariot and spoke thus to Viśoka his charioteer:

6.60.9 "These mighty car-warriors, the valiant and powerful sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, in their great wrath have risen up to slay me in the fight.

6.60.10 This day I shall slay them all before your eyes, of that there is no doubt; therefore, O charioteer, hold my steeds well in hand and stay watchful in the battle."

6.60.11 So saying, the son of Pṛthā pierced your son Duryodhana with ten sharp gold-adorned arrows, and struck Nandaka in turn with three shafts between the breasts.

6.60.12 But Duryodhana, having pierced the mighty Bhīma with sixty arrows, struck Viśoka in turn with three others keenly whetted.

6.60.13 And in the battle, O king, the king cut Bhīma's shining bow asunder at the grip with three sharp arrows, as though in mockery.

6.60.14 But Bhīma, seeing his charioteer Viśoka there in the fight sorely beset by the sharp shafts of your bow-wielding son,

6.60.15 brooking it not and burning with wrath, laid hold of a celestial bow, O great king, O bull of the Bhāratas, to slay your son.

6.60.16 In his fury he took up a feathered razor-edged shaft, and with it Bhīma cut asunder the king's excellent bow.

6.60.17 Casting away his severed bow, blazing as it were with wrath, Duryodhana swiftly took up another bow of greater force.

6.60.18 He fitted to it a dreadful arrow, bright as Time and Death, and with it in his wrath struck Bhīmasena between the breasts.

6.60.19 Pierced to the quick and racked with pain, he sank back into the body of his chariot, and there, seated in the chariot's seat, he fell into a swoon.

6.60.20 Seeing Bhīma stricken thus, the great bowmen and mighty car-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, with Abhimanyu at their head, could not endure it.

6.60.21 Then, calm and unflinching, they let fall a tumultuous rain of fierce-blazing weapons upon the head of your son.

6.60.22 Then the mighty Bhīmasena, recovering his senses, pierced Duryodhana with three arrows and again struck him with five.

6.60.23 And the great bowman of a Pāṇḍava pierced Śalya with twenty-five gold-feathered arrows; pierced thus, Śalya withdrew from the fight.

6.60.24 Then fourteen of your sons came forth to meet Bhīma — Senāpati and Suṣeṇa and Jalasaṃdha and Sulocana,

6.60.25 Ugra and Bhīmaratha and Bhīma and Bhīmabāhu and Alolupa, Durmukha and Duṣpradharṣa and Vivitsu and Vikaṭa and Sama.

6.60.26 Loosing many arrows, their eyes red with rage, they rushed upon Bhīmasena together and pierced him sorely.

6.60.27 But the mighty Bhīmasena, beholding your sons, licking the corners of his mouth like a wolf amid the flock, that hero, the Pāṇḍava, cut off the head of Senāpati with a razor-edged shaft.

6.60.28 Piercing through Jalasaṃdha, he sent him to the abode of Yama; then slaying Suṣeṇa, he dispatched him to Death.

6.60.29 With a broad-arrow he struck to the ground the head of Ugra, helmet and all, fair as the moon and adorned with two earrings.

6.60.30 And with seventy arrows Bhīma led Bhīmabāhu, together with his steeds, his banner, and his charioteer, to the other world in that battle, O sire.

6.60.31 The two impetuous brothers, Bhīma and Bhīmaratha both, Bhīmasena, as though in mockery, O king, sent to the abode of Yama.

6.60.32 Then in that great battle, before the eyes of all the troops, Bhīma sent Sulocana too to the abode of Yama with a razor-edged shaft.

6.60.33 But your sons, the others who remained there, seeing that prowess of Bhīmasena, were tormented with dread of Bhīma; and being slaughtered by that great soul, O king, they fled away in all directions.

6.60.34 Then the son of Śaṃtanu spoke to all the great chariot-warriors: "Here is Bhīma, enraged in battle, striking down the great car-warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons—

6.60.35 "the foremost, the eldest, and the bravest gathered together—this fierce-bowed one lays them low. Crush him, O kings!"

6.60.36 Thus addressed, all the soldiers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son rushed in fury upon mighty Bhīmasena.

6.60.37 Bhagadatta, mounted on an elephant in rut, O lord of peoples, fell suddenly upon the place where Bhīma stood firm.

6.60.38 Even as he charged, with arrows whetted on stone he made Bhīmasena invisible in the fray, as a thundercloud hides the sun.

6.60.39 The great car-warriors led by Abhimanyu, trusting in the strength of their own arms, could not endure this veiling of Bhīma in the battle.

6.60.40 With a downpour of arrows they hemmed him in on every side, and with a rain of shafts they pierced that elephant from all directions.

6.60.41 Struck by that storm of weapons, the elephant of Prāgjyotiṣa, O king, riddled with many keen and various-marked shafts, charged forward at redoubled pace.

6.60.42 Its blood gushing forth, it became a sight to behold in the fray, like a great cloud shot through with the sun's rays.

6.60.43 Goaded on by Bhagadatta, the elephant streaming with rut rushed upon them all like Death loosed by Time, and, gathering twofold speed, made the earth tremble beneath its feet.

6.60.44 Beholding that enormous form, all the great car-warriors, deeming it irresistible, lost much of their cheer.

6.60.45 Then the king, enraged, O tiger among men, struck Bhīmasena upon the breast with a smooth-jointed arrow.

6.60.46 Deeply pierced by that king, the great archer and mighty car-warrior, his limbs overcome by a swoon, leaned upon his banner-staff.

6.60.47 Seeing them frightened and Bhīmasena fallen into a swoon, the valiant Bhagadatta let forth a mighty roar.

6.60.48 Then Ghaṭotkaca, O king, seeing Bhīma in such a plight, that dreadful Rākṣasa, filled with wrath, vanished on the spot.

6.60.49 Weaving a terrible illusion that swelled the fear of the timid, in half the blink of an eye he reappeared, clad in a fearsome form.

6.60.50 He himself mounted Airāvata, conjured by his magic, and other elephants of the quarters became his followers as well.

6.60.51 Añjana, Vāmana, and resplendent Mahāpadma—these three great elephants were ridden by Rākṣasas.

6.60.52 Of vast bulk, O king, streaming rut in three currents, endowed with splendor, vigor, and strength, mighty in might and prowess.

6.60.53 Then Ghaṭotkaca, that scorcher of foes, urged on his own elephant, eager to slay Bhagadatta together with his mount.

6.60.54 And those other elephants, driven on by the mighty Rākṣasas, four-tusked and furious, fell upon Bhagadatta's elephant from the four quarters and gored it with their tusks.

6.60.55 Crushed by those elephants, anguished with pain and tormented by arrows, it bellowed a tremendous cry, loud as the thunderbolt of Indra.

6.60.56 Hearing that frightful, terrible-sounding cry of the bellowing beast, Bhīṣma spoke to Droṇa and to King Suyodhana:

6.60.57 "Yonder Bhagadatta, the great archer, fights in battle with the wicked son of Hiḍimbā, and contends only with great difficulty."

6.60.58 "The Rākṣasa is a master of illusion, and the king is exceedingly wrathful—the two have met, both of great valor, both like Time and Death itself."

6.60.59 "Here is heard the great clamor of the exultant Pāṇḍavas, and the mighty cry of the elephant trumpeting in its terror."

6.60.60 "Let us go there—good fortune to you—to guard the king; unguarded in the fray, he will swiftly yield up his life."

6.60.61 "Make haste, O heroes of great valor! Why should we tarry to set out? For a great and dreadful battle rages on, one to make the hair stand on end."

6.60.62 "Devoted, nobly born, valiant, a leader of armies is he—it is fitting, O unfaltering ones, that we should make his rescue."

6.60.63 Hearing those words of Bhīṣma, all the kings together, led by the son of Bhāradvāja, desiring to save Bhagadatta, set out at top speed to where he was.

6.60.64 Marking them depart, the Pāñcālas, led by Yudhiṣṭhira and joined by the Pāṇḍavas, followed the foe from behind.

6.60.65 Then, beholding those armies, the valiant lord of the Rākṣasas roared a mighty roar, like the bursting crash of a thunderbolt.

6.60.66 Hearing that din of his and seeing the elephants doing battle, Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, spoke once more to the son of Bhāradvāja:

6.60.67 "This battle with the wicked son of Hiḍimbā does not please me; for now he is filled with strength and valor, and has allies besides."

6.60.68 "He cannot be vanquished in fight, not even by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself; he is a sure-aiming smiter, while our mounts are weary and we are gashed and torn all day long by the Pāñcālas and the Pāṇḍavas."

6.60.69 "Therefore this battle with the triumphant Pāṇḍavas does not please me. Let the withdrawal be proclaimed for today; tomorrow we shall fight with the foe."

6.60.70 Hearing the words of the grandsire, the Kauravas did accordingly; tormented by fear of Ghaṭotkaca, they contrived their retreat by stratagem.

6.60.71 When the Kauravas had turned back, the victorious Pāṇḍavas raised a lion's roar, mingled with the blare of conches and the sound of flutes.

6.60.72 Thus, O bull of the Bhāratas, did the day's battle between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus unfold, with Ghaṭotkaca set in the forefront.

6.60.73 Then the Kauravas, O king, set out for their own camp, abashed at nightfall, defeated by the sons of Pāṇḍu.

6.60.74 The sons of Pāṇḍu too, those great car-warriors, their bodies torn by arrows, glad of heart from the battle, made their way to their camp.

6.60.75 Setting Bhīmasena and Ghaṭotkaca at their head, O great king, they honored one another, filled with the highest joy.

6.60.76 Sounding manifold cries mingled with the blare of trumpets, and raising lion-roars blended with the notes of conches,

6.60.77 those great-souled ones, roaring aloud and making the earth tremble, striking at the very heart of your son, O sire—those scorchers of foes set out for their camp at nightfall.

6.60.78 But King Duryodhana, dejected at the slaying of his brothers, brooded for a while, overcome by tears and grief.

6.60.79 Then, having made all due arrangements for the camp according to custom, he sat sunk in thought, consumed by sorrow and worn by the calamity that had befallen his brothers.

6.61.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: A great fear has come upon me, Saṃjaya, and amazement too, on hearing of the deeds of the sons of Pāṇḍu, deeds hard even for the gods to perform.

6.61.2 And hearing, Saṃjaya, of the utter defeat of my sons, great is my anxiety, O charioteer: how, in the end, shall it be?

6.61.3 Surely the words of Vidura shall sear my heart, for all unfolds, it seems, by the working of fate, O Saṃjaya.

6.61.4 —seeing that the smiting hosts of the Pāṇḍavas do battle against heroes led by Bhīṣma, masters of weapons, the very best of warriors.

6.61.5 By whom are the great-souled, mighty sons of Pāṇḍu made invincible? By whom were they granted boons, my son, or what knowledge do they possess, that they perish not, like the hosts of stars in heaven?

6.61.6 Again and again I cannot bear it—my army slaughtered by the Pāṇḍavas. It is upon me alone that the rod of fate falls, most terrible of all.

6.61.7 How it is that the sons of Pāṇḍu cannot be slain, and how my sons are doomed to die—all this declare to me truly, Saṃjaya.

6.61.8 For I can see no farther shore of this sorrow by any means, like a man striving to swim across the mighty ocean with his arms.

6.61.9 I deem that a most dreadful calamity has surely come upon my sons; Bhīma will cause them all to be slain—of this there is no doubt.

6.61.10 For I see no hero who might guard my sons in battle; certain is the destruction of my sons in the fray, Saṃjaya.

6.61.11 Therefore, O charioteer, as I ask you now, you must tell me truly everything—the cause and, above all, the reason of it.

6.61.12 And what Duryodhana did on seeing his own men turn their backs in battle—Bhīṣma and Droṇa, and Kṛpa, and the son of Subala, and Jayadratha, or the great archer Aśvatthāman, or the mighty Vikarṇa—

6.61.13 —and what resolve was then taken by those great-souled ones when my sons turned away, O most wise Saṃjaya?

6.61.14 Saṃjaya said: Listen attentively, O king, and having heard, take it to heart. No spell-craft of any kind, no such illusion, and no terrifying trickery, O king, do the Pāṇḍavas employ.

6.61.15 They fight as is just, and they are mighty in the field. Holding that all their deeds are renowned through righteousness, O Bhārata, the sons of Pṛthā ever undertake them, seeking great glory.

6.61.16 They turn not back from battle, those mighty ones endowed with righteousness and joined to surpassing fortune; where there is righteousness, there is victory. For this the sons of Pṛthā are unslayable in war and ever victorious, O king.

6.61.17 Your sons are evil-souled, ever delighting in sins, cruel, and base in their deeds; for this they come to grief in battle.

6.61.18 Very many cruel wrongs were done by your sons here against the sons of Pāṇḍu, O lord of men, as if by men of the lowest sort.

6.61.19 Yet disregarding all those offenses of your sons, the Pāṇḍavas were ever forbearing, O elder of the Pāṇḍu line; but your sons hold them in no esteem, O lord of peoples.

6.61.20 Of that evil deed done ceaselessly there has now come a great and terrible fruit, like the fruit of the kiṃpāka. Devour it, O great king, together with your sons and your friends.

6.61.21 You would not heed, O king, though restrained by your well-wishers—by Vidura, and Bhīṣma, and the great-souled Droṇa—

6.61.22 —and by me as well, restrained more than once. You took not the counsel both salutary and wholesome, as a dying man refuses the wholesome medicine; cleaving to your sons' opinion, you deemed the Pāṇḍavas already conquered.

6.61.23 Hear now once more, truly, that of which you ask me—the cause of the Pāṇḍavas' victory, O best of the Bhāratas. That will I tell you as I have heard it, O subduer of foes.

6.61.24 Questioned by Duryodhana on this matter, the grandsire—having seen all his brothers, mighty car-warriors, vanquished in battle—

6.61.25 —that scion of Kuru, his heart bewildered with grief, approaching the most wise grandsire with humility at nightfall—what your son then said, hear it from me, O lord of men.

6.61.26 Duryodhana said: You, and Droṇa, and Śalya, and Kṛpa, and likewise the son of Droṇa, and Kṛtavarman the son of Hṛdika, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja,

6.61.27 Bhūriśravas, and Vikarṇa, and the valiant Bhagadatta—you are all famed as great car-warriors, nobly born, ready to lay down your lives.

6.61.28 To my mind you are a match even for the three worlds; yet against the prowess of the Pāṇḍavas you all cannot stand.

6.61.29 Herein a doubt has arisen in me; declare it to me as I ask—on whom do the sons of Kuntī rely, that they conquer us at every step?

6.61.30 Bhīṣma said: Hear my word, O king, which I shall speak to you, O scion of Kuru. Often have I told you this, yet you have not acted upon it.

6.61.31 Let peace be made with the Pāṇḍavas, O best of the Bhāratas; this I deem fitting, for the earth's sake and for your own, O lord.

6.61.32 Enjoy this earth, O king, in happiness together with your brothers, scorching all your enemies and gladdening your kinsmen too.

6.61.33 You would not listen to me of old, my son, though I cried out; and now this has come upon you, because you scorned the sons of Pāṇḍu.

6.61.34 And what the cause is of the invincibility of those whose deeds are untiring—hear it, O great king, as I declare it, O lord.

6.61.35 There is no being in all the worlds, none now nor any yet to come, who could conquer in battle the Pāṇḍavas while they are guarded by the bearer of the Śārṅga bow.

6.61.36 But hear faithfully, O knower of dharma, that which was sung of old and told to me, my son, by sages of disciplined souls.

6.61.37 In ancient times, it is said, all the gods and the seers, gathered together, waited upon the Grandsire upon the mountain Gandhamādana.

6.61.38 Seated in their midst, Prajāpati beheld a celestial chariot, blazing with radiance, most excellent, poised in the sky.

6.61.39 Discerning him through meditation, Brahmā, with self-controlled and gladdened heart, joined his palms and bowed before the supreme Lord of lords.

6.61.40 Then the seers and the gods, seeing Brahmā risen, all stood with palms joined, gazing upon the great marvel.

6.61.41 Having worshipped him duly, Brahmā—best of the knowers of Brahman, creator of the world, supreme knower of the highest dharma—spoke to that Supreme One.

6.61.42 You are the wealth of all, the form of all, the lord of all; Viṣvaksena, maker of all, the self-controlled, the sovereign of the universe, Vāsudeva. Therefore I take refuge in you, the divine, whose essence is yoga.

6.61.43 Victory to you, O Universe, great God! Victory, you who delight in the welfare of the worlds! Victory, O sovereign master of yoga, all-pervading One! Victory, you who are both the near and the far of yoga!

6.61.44 O lotus-wombed, wide-eyed One, victory to you, Lord of the lords of the worlds! O master of what has been, what shall be, and what is, victory to you, son of a gentle-souled father's son!

6.61.45 O One of countless virtues, unconquerable, victory to you, final refuge of all! O Nārāyaṇa, hard to fathom, victory to you, bearer of the Śārṅga bow!

6.61.46 O One endowed with every secret excellence, O form of the universe, the flawless, O lord of all, mighty-armed One, victory to you, intent upon the good of the worlds!

6.61.47 O great serpent, primeval Boar, tawny-haired, all-pervading One, victory to you, dwelling-place of Hari, lord of the peoples, abode of the universe, boundless and undecaying!

6.61.48 O One whose station is the manifest, the unmanifest, and the immeasurable, governing the senses yet possessed of senses, knower of the countless states of the soul—victory to you, profound One, granter of desires!

6.61.49 O endless One of perfect wisdom, ever the illuminator of beings, you whose work is accomplished, whose wisdom is fulfilled, knower of dharma, the victor and the unvanquished!

6.61.50 O hidden Self, Self of all beings, source from which manifest creation springs forth, truth of the real meaning of things, lord of the worlds—victory to you, illuminator of beings!

6.61.51 O self-born, greatly blessed One, intent upon the dissolution of the aeon, the bringer-forth, born of the mind—victory to you, beloved of the people of Brahman!

6.61.52 O One who delights in the outpouring of creation, lord of desire, supreme Lord, source of the nectar of immortality, the truly existent, fire at the ages' end—giver of victory!

6.61.53 O lord of the lords of creatures, divine One, lotus-naveled, of great might, self-existent, mighty being, whose very essence is action—victory to you, granter of the fruits of action!

6.61.54 The goddess Earth is your two feet, the quarters your arms, heaven your head; I am your form, the gods your body, the moon and sun your two eyes.

6.61.55 Strength, austerity, truth, and dharma are yours, O Lord, and Desire your offspring; fire is your splendour, the wind your breath, and the waters are sprung from your sweat.

6.61.56 The Aśvins are forever your two ears, the goddess Sarasvatī your tongue, the Vedas grounded in your sacraments—for upon you this whole world rests.

6.61.57 Neither your number nor your measure, neither your splendour nor your prowess, nor your strength do we know, O lord of yoga and of yogins, nor your origin.

6.61.58 Devoted to your worship, O God, composed through our observances, we ever adore you, O Viṣṇu, the supreme Lord, the great Lord.

6.61.59 The seers, gods, and gandharvas, the yakṣas, rākṣasas, and serpents, the piśācas and the humans, beasts, birds, and creeping things—

6.61.60 all this and more I have created upon the earth, born of your grace, O lotus-naveled, wide-eyed Kṛṣṇa, destroyer of evil dreams.

6.61.61 You are the goal of all beings, you the guide, you the face of the world; by your grace, O lord of the gods, the wise are forever happy.

6.61.62 By your grace, O God, the earth has ever been free from fear; therefore become, O wide-eyed One, the increaser of the lineage of the Yadus.

6.61.63 For the firm establishment of dharma, for the slaying of the sons of Diti, and for the upholding of the world—heed my prayer, O Lord.

6.61.64 This supreme mystery, made wholly of your grace, O all-pervading Vāsudeva, has been faithfully sung by me to you.

6.61.65 Having brought forth the god Saṃkarṣaṇa, your own self by your self, O Kṛṣṇa, you by yourself created Pradyumna, sprung from yourself.

6.61.66 And from Pradyumna you created Aniruddha, whom they know as the imperishable Viṣṇu; and Aniruddha created me, Brahmā, the upholder of the worlds.

6.61.67 Thus I, made of Vāsudeva, have been fashioned by you alone. Dividing your self into portions, take birth in the estate of man, O all-pervading One.

6.61.68 There, slaying the asuras for the happiness of all the worlds, establishing dharma and winning renown, you shall attain yoga in its very truth.

6.61.69 For the brahmin-seers in the world, and the gods too, O One of measureless might, devoted, sing of you by those many names, of you whose essence is the Supreme Self.

6.61.70 All the hosts of beings abide in you, taking refuge in you, the granter of boons, O fair-armed One; the wise declare you to be without beginning, middle, or end, of boundless yoga, the bridge of the world.

6.62.1 Bhīṣma said: Then that blessed God, supreme Lord of the worlds, answered Brahmā thus, in a voice tender and deep.

6.62.2 "Through yoga, my son, all that you desire is known to me; so shall it be"—and saying this, he vanished then and there.

6.62.3 Then the gods, seers, and gandharvas, filled with the utmost wonder and consumed by curiosity, all spoke to the Grandsire.

6.62.4 "Who is this, O all-pervading Lord, to whom you have bowed with humility and praised with the most excellent of words? We desire to hear of him."

6.62.5 Thus addressed, the blessed Grandsire answered all the gods, the brahmin-seers, and the gandharvas in a gentle voice.

6.62.6 "That which is the supreme, that which is to come and that which must be, who is the Self of beings and the Lord, and who is the Brahman, the highest abode—

6.62.7 with him, gracious, did I hold this converse, O bulls among gods; for the blessing of the world I implored the Lord of the universe.

6.62.8 'Take your stand in the world of men, known as Vāsudeva; for the slaying of the asuras, be born upon the earth.'

6.62.9 Those daityas, dānavas, and rākṣasas who were slain in battle have now been born among men, terrible in form and of great strength.

6.62.10 For their slaying, the self-controlled Lord, together with Nara, taking on a human birth, shall walk upon the earth.

6.62.11 Nara and Nārāyaṇa, those two most ancient and excellent of seers, of measureless splendour, have together been born into the world of men.

6.62.12 Unconquerable in battle when they strive together, even by the immortals—yet the foolish do not recognize these two seers, Nara and Nārāyaṇa.

6.62.13 I, Brahmā, lord of all the world, am his son; Vāsudeva, the great Lord of all the worlds, is the One worthy of your worship.

6.62.14 Never, O best of gods, is the One of mighty valour, bearer of conch, discus, and mace, to be slighted with the thought, 'This is but a man.'

6.62.15 This is the supreme mystery, this the supreme abode, this the supreme Brahman, this the supreme glory.

6.62.16 This is the imperishable, the unmanifest, this the eternal and the great; this, named Puruṣa, is sung of yet not known.

6.62.17 This is the supreme splendour, this the supreme bliss, this the supreme truth, proclaimed by the Maker of all.

6.62.18 Therefore the Lord of measureless might, Vāsudeva, must never be slighted by any of the gods with Indra, nor by the worlds, with the thought, 'This is but a man.'

6.62.19 And whoever, dull of wit, should say of Hṛṣīkeśa in contempt, 'This is no more than a man,' him they call the basest of men.

6.62.20 Whoever should despise that great-souled yogin, Vāsudeva, entered into a human body, him people call a man steeped in darkness.

6.62.21 Whoever does not recognize the divine Self of all that moves and is still, marked with the Śrīvatsa, radiant, the lotus-naveled One—him people call steeped in darkness.

6.62.22 Whoever scorns that great-souled One, who wears the diadem and the Kaustubha gem and grants safety to his friends, sinks into terrible darkness.

6.62.23 Knowing thus the truth of the matter, Vāsudeva, Lord of the lords of the worlds, is to be revered by all the worlds, O best of gods."

6.62.24 Having spoken thus to all the hosts of gods long ago, that blessed One, the Self of all the worlds, dismissed them and went to his own abode.

6.62.25 Then the gods with the gandharvas, the sages and the apsarases, having heard that discourse sung by Brahmā, went gladdened to heaven.

6.62.26 This I heard, my son, in an assembly of seers of disciplined souls as they told the ancient tale of Vāsudeva.

6.62.27 From Rāma the son of Jamadagni, from the wise Mārkaṇḍeya, and from Vyāsa and Nārada too I have heard it, O master of sacred lore.

6.62.28 Having understood this truth and heard of the imperishable Lord, the great-souled Vāsudeva, Lord of the lords of the worlds—

6.62.29 he whose son is Brahmā, the father of all the world—how then should this Vāsudeva not be worshipped and adored by men?

6.62.30 Of old, my son, you were warned by sages versed to the depths of the Vedas: 'Go not to war against that wise Vāsudeva, nor against the Pāṇḍavas'—yet in your delusion you do not heed it.

6.62.31 I deem you a cruel rākṣasa, and so you are, shrouded in darkness, since you hate Govinda and the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya—the divine Nara and Nārāyaṇa, whom no other man would hate.

6.62.32 Therefore I tell you, O king: he is indeed the eternal and imperishable One, made of all the worlds, the everlasting, the ruler, the sustainer, the upholder, the unshaken.

6.62.33 He who upholds the three worlds, the Lord and teacher of all that moves and is still, the warrior, the victory, and the victor, the source of all nature, the sovereign—

6.62.34 O king, he is made of pure goodness, free of darkness and of passion; where Kṛṣṇa is, there is dharma, and where dharma is, there is victory.

6.62.35 By the power of his greatness and by the yoga of his very self, the sons of Pāṇḍu are sustained, O king, and victory shall be theirs.

6.62.36 He who ever bestows upon the Pāṇḍavas a mind set on what is good, and gives them strength in battle always, and guards them from all dangers—

6.62.37 this is that eternal God, made of all mysteries, the auspicious One, to be known as Vāsudeva, of whom you ask me, O Bhārata.

6.62.38 By brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, each bearing his own marks, ever devoted to their proper duties, he is served and worshipped.

6.62.39 At the end of the Dvāpara age and the beginning of the Kali age, he was hymned by Saṃkarṣaṇa according to the Sātvata rite.

6.62.40 It is he, Vāsudeva, who age after age brings forth anew the whole world of asuras and of mortals, and the cities girt within the ocean's bounds, and his own dwelling among men, again and again.

6.63.1 Duryodhana said: Vāsudeva is spoken of in all the worlds as a great being. I wish to know his origin and his abiding ground, O Grandsire.

6.63.2 Bhīṣma said: Vāsudeva is a great being, born together with the gods. Nothing higher than the lotus-eyed One is to be seen, O bull of the Bhāratas; and Mārkaṇḍeya too tells of Govinda the wondrous and the mighty.

6.63.3 The Self of beings, the great-souled Supreme Person, fashioned all beings, and these three—the waters, the wind, and fire.

6.63.4 Having created the earth, that divine Lord of all the worlds, the great-souled Supreme Person, made his couch upon the waters; and the God, made wholly of the waters, slept there through the power of yoga.

6.63.5 From his mouth he brought forth Agni, and from his breath the Wind as well; and from his mind the Imperishable One created Sarasvatī and the Vedas.

6.63.6 He it was who in the beginning created the worlds, the gods together with the hosts of seers, and death and destruction too—the imperishable source of all creatures.

6.63.7 He is the Law and the knower of the Law, the granter of boons, the fulfiller of every desire; he is the doer and the deed, the primeval god, self-luminous.

6.63.8 What has been, what is, and what is yet to come—all this Janārdana ordained of old, and the two twilights, the directions, the sky, and the ruling order.

6.63.9 Govinda likewise fashioned the seers and austerity in their turn, and the great-souled, imperishable lord shaped the Creator of the world as well.

6.63.10 He fashioned Saṃkarṣaṇa, firstborn of all beings, and he fashioned too the divine Śeṣa, whom men know as the Endless One.

6.63.11 He who upholds all beings and this earth with its mountains—him the brāhmaṇas, through the yoga of meditation, declare to be of mighty splendor.

6.63.12 And the great asura named Madhu, sprung from the channel of his ear—fierce, fierce in deeds, set upon a fierce design—him the Supreme Person slew, doing honor to Brahmā.

6.63.13 From that slaying, my son, gods, dānavas, and men, and the seers, call Janārdana the Slayer of Madhu; and the lord is also the Boar, the Lion, and he whose stride spans the three worlds.

6.63.14 Hari is the mother and the father of all living things; for higher than the lotus-eyed one nothing has ever been, nor ever shall be.

6.63.15 From his mouth he brought forth the brāhmaṇas, from his arms the kṣatriyas, from his thighs, O king, the vaiśyas, and from his feet the śūdras—the god, bound to austerity, the resting-place of all embodied beings.

6.63.16 He who, at the new moon and the full moon alike, attends in worship upon Keśava, become one with brahman and become one with yoga, shall attain the great goal.

6.63.17 Keśava is the supreme radiance, the grandsire of all the worlds; thus, O lord of men, do the sages speak of Hṛṣīkeśa.

6.63.18 Know him, then, to be teacher, father, and guru; he with whom Kṛṣṇa is pleased has thereby won the imperishable worlds.

6.63.19 And the man who in a place of fear takes refuge in this Keśava, and who ever recites this hymn, shall be safe and shall be happy.

6.63.20 Those mortals who take refuge in Kṛṣṇa do not fall into bewilderment; those sunk in great peril Janārdana ever protects.

6.63.21 Knowing all this in its very truth, O Bhārata, Yudhiṣṭhira with his whole being took refuge in the great-souled Keśava, lord of the world, O king—the lord and master of all yogas.

6.64.1 Bhīṣma said: Hear now from me too, O great king, this Hymn to the One Become Brahman, which of old upon the earth was uttered by the brahmā-seers and by the gods.

6.64.2 "Lord and god of the gods, even of the Sādhya gods, knower of the being and becoming of the worlds"—so Nārada addressed you; and Mārkaṇḍeya called you what has been, what is, and what shall be.

6.64.3 The sacrifice of sacrifices, the austerity of austerities, the god even of the gods—so the blessed Bhṛgu named you, O Viṣṇu, of awful form in days of yore, lord of all beings.

6.64.4 "You are Vāsudeva among the Vasus, and the establisher of Śakra; you are the god of the gods"—so Dvaipāyana declared.

6.64.5 "In the first creations of creatures they call Dakṣa the Lord of Beings, the maker of all that lives"—so then Aṅgiras spoke of you.

6.64.6 "The unmanifest arises from your body, the manifest abides in your mind, and the gods are born of your speech"—so Asita Devala spoke.

6.64.7 By your head the heaven is filled, by your arms the earth is upheld; your belly is the three worlds—you are the eternal Person.

6.64.8 Thus do men matured by austerity come to know you; and you are the best even of those seers who are content in the vision of the Self.

6.64.9 Of the noble royal seers, who never turn back in battle, who hold all duty foremost—of these you are the goal, O Slayer of Madhu.

6.64.10 This, my son, is the full account and the brief account alike, proclaimed of Keśava as it truly is; be well pleased with Keśava.

6.64.11 Saṃjaya said: Having heard this holy tale, O great king, your son held Keśava in high regard, and the Pāṇḍavas too, those mighty warriors.

6.64.12 To him, O great king, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu spoke again: You have heard, O king, the greatness of the great-souled Keśava.

6.64.13 And you have heard the truth of Nara as well, of which you asked me—wherefore the two, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, were born among men.

6.64.14 And how those two heroes are not to be slain, unconquered in their encounters, and how the Pāṇḍavas, O king, are not to be reached in battle by any man.

6.64.15 For Kṛṣṇa is firmly devoted to the glorious Pāṇḍavas; therefore I say to you, O lord of kings: let there be peace with the Pāṇḍavas.

6.64.16 Self-mastered, enjoy the earth together with your strong brothers; but if you slight the divine Nara and Nārāyaṇa, you shall perish.

6.64.17 Having spoken thus, your father fell silent, O lord of peoples, and dismissed the king and went in to his couch.

6.64.18 The king too, having bowed to the great-souled one, went off to his camp and lay that night upon his bright couch, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.65.1 Saṃjaya said: When the night had passed and the day-maker had risen, the two armies, O great king, came together once more for battle.

6.65.2 Enraged, eager each to vanquish the other, they all charged together into the fray, eyeing one another.

6.65.3 The Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O king—through your ill counsel—each drew up its array, and the smiters, full of fury, joined in combat.

6.65.4 Bhīṣma, O king, guarded the crocodile-array on every side, and the Pāṇḍavas likewise, O king, guarded their own array.

6.65.5 Your father Devavrata, best of chariot-warriors, rode forth at the head of the chariot-host, encircled by a great line of cars.

6.65.6 Each followed close upon the other, drawn up in his appointed place—the charioteers, the foot-soldiers, the elephant-riders, and the horsemen.

6.65.7 Seeing them ranged up for the encounter, the glorious Pāṇḍavas too stood ready with that royal hawk-shaped array, invincible in battle.

6.65.8 At its beak shone the mighty Bhīmasena; its two eyes were the unassailable Śikhaṇḍin and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata.

6.65.9 Its head was the hero Sātyaki, true in valor, and Pārtha, brandishing the Gāṇḍīva, was then at its neck.

6.65.10 With a full akṣauhiṇī the great-souled, illustrious Drupada, together with his son, formed the left wing then in the battle.

6.65.11 The right wing was the Kaikeya, lord of an akṣauhiṇī; and at the rear were the sons of Draupadī and the valiant son of Subhadrā.

6.65.12 At the rear stood the illustrious king Yudhiṣṭhira himself, the wise one of fair prowess, together with his two brothers, the twins.

6.65.13 Then Bhīma, plunging into the battle at the mouth of the crocodile-array, closed with Bhīṣma in the fight and covered him with arrows.

6.65.14 Thereupon Bhīṣma loosed his great weapons, O Bhārata, bewildering the marshaled host of Pāṇḍu's sons in that mighty fray.

6.65.15 As the host fell into confusion, Dhanaṃjaya in haste pierced Bhīṣma with a thousand arrows at the head of the battle.

6.65.16 And having warded off the weapons loosed by Bhīṣma in the fight, he stood ready for battle with his own exultant host.

6.65.17 Then king Duryodhana, best of the strong, that great warrior, having seen before the dread slaughter of his host and recalling the slaying of his brothers in the fight, spoke to the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.65.18 Teacher, you who are without fault have ever wished my good; for it is upon you and upon the grandsire Bhīṣma that we have relied.

6.65.19 We aspire, beyond doubt, to conquer even the gods in battle—how much more the sons of Pāṇḍu, lacking in might and valor in war.

6.65.20 Thus addressed by your son, O honored one, Droṇa then broke through the Pāṇḍava host before the very eyes of Sātyaki.

6.65.21 But Sātyaki then held Droṇa back, O Bhārata, and thereupon a tumultuous, hair-raising combat broke out.

6.65.22 The valorous son of Bhāradvāja, enraged in the fight, pierced the grandson of Śini with sharp arrows in the region of the collarbone, as though laughing the while.

6.65.23 Then Bhīmasena in his wrath pierced the son of Bhāradvāja, shielding Sātyaki, O king, from Droṇa, best of all who bear arms.

6.65.24 Then Droṇa and Bhīṣma and Śalya too, O honored one, in their fury covered Bhīmasena with arrows in the fight.

6.65.25 Thereupon the enraged Abhimanyu and the sons of Draupadī, O honored one, pierced with sharp arrows all those warriors whose weapons were raised.

6.65.26 And as the mighty Bhīṣma and Droṇa, full of wrath, came rushing on, Śikhaṇḍin the great archer went out to meet them in that great battle.

6.65.27 Grasping with might his bow that roared like a thunder-cloud, the hero swiftly rained down arrows, veiling the very sun.

6.65.28 But the grandsire of the Bhāratas, on encountering Śikhaṇḍin, turned aside from him in the battle, remembering his womanhood.

6.65.29 Then Droṇa, O great king, charged against him in the fight, guarding Bhīṣma, urged on by your son.

6.65.30 But Śikhaṇḍin, on encountering Droṇa, best of the bearers of arms, turned aside from him in the battle, terrible as the fire at the end of an age.

6.65.31 Then with a great force your son, O lord of peoples, came up to Bhīṣma and guarded him, seeking great renown.

6.65.32 In like manner the Pāṇḍavas, O king, putting Dhanaṃjaya at their head, advanced upon Bhīṣma alone, having set their minds firmly upon victory.

6.65.33 Dreadful was that battle, like the war of the gods with the dānavas, between those who ever longed for victory and for surpassing, wondrous glory.

6.66.1 Saṃjaya said: Then Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu waged a tumultuous fight, wishing, for fear of Bhīmasena, to carry your sons to safety.

6.66.2 In the forenoon that most terrible battle of the kings raged on, the destroyer of the foremost heroes of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas alike.

6.66.3 As that confused and most fearful battle went on, there arose a tumultuous din, mightily touching the very sky.

6.66.4 With the trumpeting of great elephants, the neighing of horses, and the blare of kettledrums and conches, the uproar arose.

6.66.5 Eager to fight, valiant, mighty in strength, longing for victory, they bellowed at one another like great bulls within their pens.

6.66.6 Of the heads struck off in the battle by sharp arrows there came, as it were, a rain of stones in the sky, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.66.7 Heads still wearing their earrings and turbans, gleaming bright with gold, were seen to lie fallen, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.66.8 With limbs mangled by arrows, with arms that still grasped their bows, and with others adorned with bracelets upon the hand, the earth was strewn over.

6.66.9 With bodies sheathed in armor, with hands still richly adorned, and with fair faces like the moon, their eyes red at the corners,—

6.66.10 —and with all the limbs of elephants, horses, and men, O lord of the earth, the whole earth in a moment lay covered over.

6.66.11 With tumultuous clouds of dust, lit up by the lightning-flash of weapons, the clash of arms became like the rumbling of thunder.

6.66.12 That clash, tumultuous, bitter, with blood for its waters, rolled on between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.

6.66.13 In that dread and fearful tumult, that hair-raising turmoil, the warriors, drunk with the frenzy of battle, poured down their showers of arrows.

6.66.14 There the elephants, scorched by the rain of arrows, trumpeted in agony—both yours and the enemy's, O best of the Bhāratas, in that clash—and the horses, their riders slain, fled wildly across the ten directions.

6.66.15 Others, tormented by the blows of arrows, leaped up and fell again—warriors of yours and of the foe alike, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.66.16 Heaped-up masses of horses, of elephants, and of careering chariots could be seen here and there, O lord of peoples.

6.66.17 With maces and swords, with javelins and with smooth-jointed shafts, the warriors, driven on by Death, struck one another there.

6.66.18 Other heroes, skilled in unarmed combat, grappled in the fray with their bare arms in many a way, as though with bars of iron.

6.66.19 With fists and knees and open palms, O lord of peoples, the heroes smote each other—your men together with the Pāṇḍavas.

6.66.20 And there chariot-warriors stripped of their cars, wielding their excellent swords, rushed upon one another, each bent on the other's slaughter.

6.66.21 Then King Duryodhana, surrounded by a host of Kaliṅgas, placing Bhīṣma at the head of the battle, advanced against the Pāṇḍavas.

6.66.22 And so too all the Pāṇḍavas, ranging themselves about Vṛkodara, charged in fury upon Bhīṣma in battle, their steeds borne on with headlong speed.

6.67.1 Saṃjaya said: Seeing his brothers and the other princes locked in combat with Bhīṣma, Dhanaṃjaya, his weapon upraised, rushed upon the son of Gaṅgā.

6.67.2 At the blare of the Pāñcajanya and of the Gāṇḍīva bow, and at the sight of Pārtha's banner, terror entered into us all.

6.67.3 Catching upon no tree, risen like a blazing comet, many-hued and wondrous, divine and bearing the mark of the ape—such, O great king, did we behold the banner of the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva.

6.67.4 Like lightning set amid the clouds, gleaming in the sky, the warriors beheld the gold-backed Gāṇḍīva in the hands of that mighty car-warrior.

6.67.5 And we heard, loud as the thunder of Śakra, the dread clap of his palms as he smote down your host.

6.67.6 As a storm-cloud driven by a fierce wind, charged with lightning and thunder, floods all the quarters with rain, so on every side he deluged them with showers of arrows.

6.67.7 Dhanaṃjaya, wielding his terrible weapons, rushed upon the son of Gaṅgā; bewildered by his missiles, we no longer knew the east from the west.

6.67.8 Lost as to which way to turn, their plumes drooping, their weapons spent and their wits undone, those warriors clung one to another, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.67.9 They sought refuge with Bhīṣma alone, together with all your sons; in that battle Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, became the haven of the afflicted.

6.67.10 Then the car-warriors in terror leaped from their chariots, the horsemen from the backs of their steeds, and the foot-soldiers sank to the ground.

6.67.11 Hearing the roar of the Gāṇḍīva, like the crash of a thunderbolt, all the armies in their fear melted away, O Bhārata.

6.67.12 Then the lord of the cowherds, Govāsana, came surrounded by the foremost Kāmbojas—tall and swift of foot—and by the many thousands of herdsmen's forces.

6.67.13 And the lord of the Kaliṅgas was ringed about by the Madras, Sauvīras, and Gāndhāras, by the Trigartas, O lord of peoples, and by all the chief warriors of the Kaliṅgas.

6.67.14 Elephants and great hosts of men, with Duḥśāsana at their head, and King Jayadratha together with all the kings—

6.67.15 and excellent horsemen, fourteen thousand strong, urged on by your son, encircled the son of Subala.

6.67.16 Then all your men together, with their chariots and mounts marshalled apart, advanced upon the Pāṇḍavas in battle, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.67.17 Stirred up by car-warriors, elephants, horses, and foot-soldiers, the dread dust of battle arose, resembling a great mass of clouds.

6.67.18 With a mighty host of warriors fighting with lances, javelins, and iron shafts, mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, Bhīṣma closed with the Diademed one.

6.67.19 The lord of Avanti closed with the king of Kāśi, the lord of Sindhu with Bhīmasena; and Ajātaśatru, with his sons and counsellors, engaged the glorious bull of the Madras, Śalya.

6.67.20 Vikarṇa engaged Sahadeva, Citrasena engaged Śikhaṇḍin, and the Matsyas advanced against Duryodhana and against Śakuni, O lord of peoples.

6.67.21 Drupada, Cekitāna, and the great car-warrior Sātyaki closed with the high-souled Droṇa and his son; while Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman rushed together upon Dhṛṣṭaketu.

6.67.22 Thus the armies, their horses galloping and their elephants and chariots wheeling about, closed and grappled in furious combat on every side.

6.67.23 Though the sky was cloudless, fierce lightnings flashed and the quarters were veiled in dust; great meteors appeared, attended by crashing thunderclaps, O lord of peoples.

6.67.24 A great wind blew, a rain of dust came down, and in the heavens the sun was hidden away, mantled by the dust raised by the host.

6.67.25 An utter bewilderment came upon all living things, overwhelmed as they were by the dust and tormented by the nets of weapons.

6.67.26 A tumultuous massing of webs of arrows arose—shafts loosed from the arms of heroes, piercing through every kind of armour.

6.67.27 Weapons upraised by mighty arms, bright as the stars, lit up the firmament, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.67.28 Shields of bull's hide, of varied hue and overlaid with networks of gold, flew through all the quarters, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.67.29 Struck down on every side by swords bright as the sun, bodies and heads were seen falling throughout all the quarters.

6.67.30 With wheels, axles, and chariot-boxes shattered, their tall banners cast down and their horses slain, the great car-warriors sank to the earth here and there.

6.67.31 And here some horses, wounded by weapons, ran wildly about, dragging the chariots after them, their car-warriors slain.

6.67.32 Struck by arrows, their bodies torn, yet still bound in their harness, the finest of steeds dragged the yokes about here and there, O Bhārata.

6.67.33 Chariots could be seen, with their drivers, their horses, and their fighting men, all slain together by a single mighty elephant, O king.

6.67.34 Catching in the battle the scent of the rut flowing from the lordly tuskers, many an elephant, at the clash of those floods of troops, took to flight.

6.67.35 The field of battle was covered over with elephants struck down by iron shafts, falling lifeless together with their lances and their mighty riders.

6.67.36 At the clash of those floods of troops, chariots—shattered by the lordly elephants hurled against them—fell in battle together with their warriors and their banners.

6.67.37 Seized in battle by the trunks of elephants huge as the king of serpents, chariot-poles could be seen snapped asunder, O great king.

6.67.38 Their lattice-work of chariots smashed, the car-warriors were seized by the hair by the tuskers, whirled about like the branches of trees, and ground to pieces in the fray.

6.67.39 Dragging chariot upon chariot, locked together in the fight, the lordly elephants rushed in every direction, plunging through every clamour.

6.67.40 As they dragged their burdens so, those elephants had the look of beasts hauling a tangle of lotus-stalks caught fast in the pools.

6.67.41 Thus was that vast field of battle covered over with horsemen and foot-soldiers and with great car-warriors and their banners.

6.68.1 Saṃjaya said: Śikhaṇḍin, together with Virāṭa of the Matsyas, O lord of peoples, swiftly fell upon Bhīṣma, that great archer most hard to conquer.

6.68.2 Dhanaṃjaya assailed Droṇa, Kṛpa, and Vikarṇa—great archers of mighty strength—and many other heroic kings in the battle.

6.68.3 And the lord of Sindhu, that great archer, with his counsellors and kinsmen, and the kings of the East and of the South, O bull among lords of the earth—

6.68.4 and against your son, the great archer, the unforgiving Duryodhana, and against Duḥsaha as well, did Bhīmasena advance in battle.

6.68.5 But Sahadeva advanced upon Śakuni and the great car-warrior Ulūka—father and son, both great archers hard to vanquish.

6.68.6 Yudhiṣṭhira, O great king, that mighty car-warrior, met in battle the host of elephants—he whom your son had so wronged.

6.68.7 And the son of Mādrī, the valiant Nakula, raising his war-cry in the fray, that Pāṇḍava engaged the noble chariot-warriors of the Trigartas.

6.68.8 The unassailable Sātyaki, Cekitāna, and the great car-warrior, son of Subhadrā, advanced in battle against the Śālvas and Kekayas.

6.68.9 And Dhṛṣṭaketu and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, hard indeed to overcome, advanced in battle against the chariot-host of your sons.

6.68.10 The commander of the army, the immeasurable-souled and mighty Dhṛṣṭadyumna, closed in battle, O king, with Droṇa, whose deeds were like Indra's.

6.68.11 Thus did these great archers, your heroes, meeting the Pāṇḍavas in battle, set to and join the fight.

6.68.12 When the sun had reached the midst of the sky and the heavens had fallen into turmoil, the Kurus and the sons of Pāṇḍu slew one another.

6.68.13 Bearing their standards, their frames bright with gold, ranging over the field of battle, the chariots with their pennons and their coverings of tiger-skin shone resplendent.

6.68.14 From those who had met in battle, each longing to overcome the other, there arose a tumultuous din, like that of roaring lions.

6.68.15 There we beheld a wondrous and most terrible encounter, which the heroic Sṛñjayas waged in battle against the Kurus.

6.68.16 Neither the sky nor the quarters, O king, nor the sun, O scorcher of foes, nor even the intermediate points could we see, for the arrows loosed on every side.

6.68.17 From the spears with their gleaming points, from the lances hurled, and from the burnished swords, came radiances like the hue of blue lotuses.

6.68.18 The splendours of the many-coloured cuirasses and of the ornaments lit up with their brilliance the sky, the quarters, and the intermediate quarters; and there, O king, the field of battle shone resplendent in every part.

6.68.19 Tigers among men upon their lion-thrones of chariots, advancing into the fray, shone forth in battle, O king, like the planets in the vault of heaven.

6.68.20 But Bhīṣma, the best of car-warriors, in his wrath held back the mighty Bhīmasena before the eyes of the whole army.

6.68.21 Then shafts loosed by Bhīṣma, gold-feathered and whetted on stone, polished with oil and keen-edged, smote Bhīma in the battle.

6.68.22 Against him the mighty Bhīmasena hurled a swift-flying spear, like an enraged venomous serpent, O Bhārata.

6.68.23 As it came rushing on, that gold-shafted and irresistible spear, Bhīṣma cut asunder in the battle with his smooth-jointed arrows.

6.68.24 Then with another broad-headed arrow, burnished and keen, he cut the bow of Bhīmasena in two, O Bhārata.

6.68.25 But Sātyaki then swiftly closed with Bhīṣma in the fray and assailed your sire with a multitude of arrows, O lord of men.

6.68.26 Then, fitting to his bow a sharp and most dreadful arrow, Bhīṣma struck down the charioteer of the Vṛṣṇi hero from his car.

6.68.27 His charioteer slain, his horses bolted, O king, and ran this way and that with the speed of thought and of the wind.

6.68.28 Then from the whole army arose a tumultuous uproar, and a cry of dismay broke forth among the high-souled Pāṇḍavas.

6.68.29 "Rush in! Seize them! Hold the horses! Run!"—such was the tumultuous clamour that arose about the chariot of Yuyudhāna.

6.68.30 At that very moment Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, once more smote the army of the Pāṇḍavas, as the slayer of Vṛtra smites the host of the Asuras.

6.68.31 Cut down by Bhīṣma, the Pāñcālas together with the Somakas, fixing their noble resolve upon the battle, rushed straight at Bhīṣma himself.

6.68.32 And the sons of Pṛthā too, led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, charged at the son of Śaṃtanu in the fray, eager to overcome the host of your son.

6.68.33 In the same way your warriors, O king, led by Bhīṣma and Droṇa, rushed against the foe with great speed, and thereupon the battle was joined.

6.69.1 Saṃjaya said: Then Virāṭa struck Bhīṣma, that mighty car-warrior, with three arrows, and the great car-warrior pierced his horses with three arrows more.

6.69.2 In return Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, that mighty bowman of skilled hand and great strength, pierced him with ten gold-feathered shafts.

6.69.3 Droṇa's son, a great car-warrior of the dreadful bow and firm hand, struck the wielder of Gāṇḍīva with six arrows between the breasts.

6.69.4 Phalguna, slayer of hostile heroes, cut his bow asunder, and that tormentor of foes pierced him sorely with sharp, feathered shafts.

6.69.5 Unable to bear the cutting of his bow by Pārtha in the battle, and overpowered by wrath, he took up another swift-shooting bow.

6.69.6 He pierced Phalguna, O king, with ninety whetted arrows, and struck Vāsudeva with seventy excellent shafts.

6.69.7 Then Phalguna, his eyes turned coppery with rage, together with Kṛṣṇa, drawing a long and burning breath and pondering again and again,

6.69.8 That tormentor of enemies, the wrathful wielder of Gāṇḍīva, gripping his bow firm with his left hand, took up keen, well-jointed, dreadful arrows that bring life to its end.

6.69.9 With these he swiftly struck Droṇa's son, foremost of the strong, in battle; and piercing his armor, those shafts drank his blood in the fray.

6.69.10 Yet though pierced by the wielder of Gāṇḍīva, Droṇa's son did not waver; unshaken, hurling back showers of arrows, he stood firm in the fight, O king, wishing to protect Bhīṣma of the great vow.

6.69.11 The bulls among men praised that mighty deed of his, that he was not abashed in combat before the two Kṛṣṇas joined together.

6.69.12 For ever in the ranks he fought, established in fearlessness, having obtained from Droṇa the whole array of weapons with their withdrawal, a thing most hard to gain.

6.69.13 "This man is the son of my teacher, the dearly beloved son of Droṇa, and a brāhmaṇa besides, and so to be especially honored by me" —

6.69.14 forming this resolve, the heroic Bībhatsu, scorcher of foes, foremost of car-warriors, showed mercy toward the son of Bhāradvāja's line.

6.69.15 Leaving Droṇa's son alone, then, the valiant son of Kuntī, scorcher of foes, fought on, swiftly slaying your warriors.

6.69.16 But Duryodhana assailed the mighty bowman Bhīmasena with ten vulture-feathered, gold-nocked arrows whetted on stone.

6.69.17 Then Bhīmasena, filled with wrath, took up a stout and gaily-wrought bow, a destroyer of foes, and ten whetted arrows.

6.69.18 With sharp, swift, fiercely glowing shafts drawn back to the ear, the unfaltering one quickly struck the king of the Kurus on his broad chest.

6.69.19 The jewel on its golden chain, ringed about by those arrows, shone upon his breast like the sun encircled by the planets.

6.69.20 But your splendid son, struck by Bhīmasena, brooked it no more than an elephant brooks the sound of a clapped palm raised against it.

6.69.21 Then, O great king, full of wrath and striking terror into the host, he pierced Bhīma with gold-nocked arrows whetted on stone.

6.69.22 As they fought in battle, sorely wounding each other, those two mighty sons of yours, godlike, shone resplendent.

6.69.23 Subhadrā's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, pierced Citrasena, the tiger among men, with ten arrows, and Purumitra with seven.

6.69.24 And piercing Satyavrata with seventy, that hero, equal to Śakra in war, as though dancing in the fray, begot anguish in us.

6.69.25 In return Citrasena struck him with ten shafts, Satyavrata with nine, and Purumitra with seven.

6.69.26 Pierced and streaming blood, the son of Arjuna cut Citrasena's great gaily-wrought bow, that warder-off of foes, and breaking through his armor, struck him on the breast with a shaft.

6.69.27 Then your heroic warriors, the princes, great car-warriors, joining together in fury, pierced him with whetted arrows; but he, knowing the highest weapons, smote them all with sharp shafts.

6.69.28 Beholding that deed of his, your sons surrounded him, as he burned your army in battle like a raging fire consuming dry grass.

6.69.29 Like a blazing fire when the cold season is past, the son of Subhadrā shone surpassingly bright as he cut down your troops.

6.69.30 Beholding that exploit of his, O lord of peoples, your grandson Lakṣmaṇa swiftly fell upon the son of the Sātvata princess in battle.

6.69.31 But Abhimanyu, filled with wrath, pierced Lakṣmaṇa of auspicious marks with six shafts, and his charioteer with three arrows.

6.69.32 In the same way Lakṣmaṇa, O king, struck the son of Subhadrā with whetted arrows; and that, O great king, seemed a marvel.

6.69.33 Having slain his four horses and his charioteer, the mighty son of Subhadrā rushed upon Lakṣmaṇa with whetted arrows.

6.69.34 Standing upon his car whose horses were slain, Lakṣmaṇa, slayer of hostile heroes, in his wrath hurled a spear at the chariot of Subhadrā's son.

6.69.35 As it sped suddenly upon him, dreadful of form, hard to withstand, and like a serpent, Abhimanyu cut it apart with sharp arrows.

6.69.36 Then Gautama, taking Lakṣmaṇa up onto his own car, bore him away from the battle in his chariot before the eyes of all the host.

6.69.37 Then, in that great and terrible tumult that prevailed, they rushed at one another, eager to kill, each seeking the other's death.

6.69.38 Your mighty bowmen and the great car-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, offering up their very lives in the battle, slew one another.

6.69.39 Their hair loosened, their armor gone, bereft of chariots and their bows cut to pieces, the Sṛñjayas fought with the Kurus with their bare arms.

6.69.40 Then mighty-armed Bhīṣma of great strength, full of wrath, smote the army of the high-souled Pāṇḍavas with celestial weapons.

6.69.41 There the earth was strewn over with elephants whose riders were slain, with men and fallen horses, with car-warriors and horsemen alike.

6.70.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, O king, mighty-armed Sātyaki, frenzied in war, drawing in the battle his bow, that excellent accomplisher of heavy tasks,

6.70.2 loosed well-feathered shafts like venomous serpents, displaying clear, swift, and dazzling lightness of hand with his weapons.

6.70.3 As he flexed his bow and loosed yet other arrows, and again took up more and set still others to the string,

6.70.4 and hurled his shafts and slew the foe in the fray, his form appeared exceedingly like a cloud pouring down rain.

6.70.5 Beholding him thus rising in fury, king Duryodhana then sent against him ten thousand chariots, O descendant of Bharata.

6.70.6 But Sātyaki of true valor, the supreme bowman of great might, slew all those mighty archers with a celestial weapon.

6.70.7 Having wrought that dreadful deed, the hero, his bow grasped firmly, then closed with Bhūriśravas in the battle.

6.70.8 For he, that increaser of the Kurus' fame, beholding that host laid low by Yuyudhāna, charged at him in wrath.

6.70.9 Twanging that great bow colored like Indra's bow, the rainbow, he loosed shafts resembling the thunderbolt and like venomous serpents by the thousand, O great king, displaying the lightness of his hand.

6.70.10 Those arrows whose touch was death the followers of Sātyaki could not endure, O king; they fled in every direction, abandoning in the battle, O king, Sātyaki frenzied in war.

6.70.11 Seeing this, the ten mighty sons of Yuyudhāna, renowned great car-warriors with brilliant armor, weapons, and banners,

6.70.12 closing in battle with the mighty bowman Bhūriśravas, all in great fury addressed him whose banner bore the sacrificial post, in that great fray:

6.70.13 "Ho, ho, heir of the Kauravas, O mighty one! Come, fight with us in battle, with all of us together or with each one apart.

6.70.14 Either vanquish us and win glory in combat, or we, vanquishing you, shall give joy to our father."

6.70.15 Thus addressed by those heroes, the mighty one, foremost of men, who gloried in valor, beholding them drawn up before him, said to them:

6.70.16 "Well is this spoken, O heroes, that such is your resolve this day. Fight all together, intent upon it; I shall slay you in the battle."

6.70.17 Thus addressed, those heroic, swift-handed bowmen rained upon that tamer of foes a mighty shower of arrows.

6.70.18 In the afternoon, O great king, a tumultuous combat arose on the field of battle between the one and the many assembled together.

6.70.19 That one, foremost of car-warriors, they covered over with showers of arrows, as in the rains the clouds drench a great mountain, O king.

6.70.20 But the floods of arrows loosed by them, gleaming like the rod of Yama and the thunderbolt, that great car-warrior swiftly cut to pieces ere they reached him, again and again before they came.

6.70.21 There we beheld a marvel, the prowess of Somadatta's son, that he alone closed in battle with the many, undaunted.

6.70.22 Having poured forth that rain of arrows, the ten great car-warriors, O king, surrounded the mighty-armed one and set about to slay him.

6.70.23 Then the son of Somadatta, in wrath, that great car-warrior, O descendant of Bharata, cut their bows asunder with ten arrows in the twinkling of an eye.

6.70.24 Then, their bows broken, he cut off their heads in the battle, O king, with whetted, well-jointed broad-headed shafts; slain, they fell to the earth like trees shattered by the thunderbolt.

6.70.25 Seeing those heroes, his mighty sons, slain in the battle, the Vārṣṇeya, roaring aloud, O king, rushed at Bhūriśravas.

6.70.26 Pressing car against car in the battle, those two mighty ones, having each slain the other's chariot-horses in the fray, met together, those great car-warriors, leaping forward, both bereft of their cars.

6.70.27 Grasping their great swords and bearing their excellent shields, those two tigers among men shone resplendent as they took their stand for combat.

6.70.28 Then Bhīmasena, hastening up to Sātyaki who bore his excellent sword, mounted him upon his car at that time, O king.

6.70.29 And your son too, O king, swiftly mounted Bhūriśravas upon a chariot in the battle, before the eyes of all the bowmen.

6.70.30 While that combat thus went on, the Pāṇḍavas in their fury did battle with Bhīṣma, the great car-warrior, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.70.31 As the sun grew red, Dhanaṃjaya, making haste, slew twenty-five thousand great car-warriors.

6.70.32 For these, commanded by Duryodhana then to the destruction of Pārtha, went to their ruin as soon as they reached him, like moths into a flame.

6.70.33 Then the Matsyas and the Kekayas, skilled in the science of the bow, surrounded Pārtha, that great car-warrior, together with his son.

6.70.34 At that very time, as the sun was going down to its setting, a bewilderment came over all the troops alike.

6.70.35 Then your father Devavrata, O great king, at the hour of twilight, called off the troops, their mounts grown weary.

6.70.36 At the clash of the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus, each against the other, both armies, sorely shaken, withdrew to their own encampments.

6.70.37 Then, having gone each to its own camp, they settled there, O Bhārata—the Pāṇḍavas together with the Sṛñjayas, and the Kurus likewise, in due order.

6.71.1 Saṃjaya said: Having rested through the night, O king, the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas together, when the dark watch had passed, marched forth once more to battle.

6.71.2 There arose a mighty din, O Bhārata, among your forces and among theirs, as the foremost chariots were yoked and the tusked elephants made ready.

6.71.3 As the foot soldiers armed themselves and the horses too, O Bhārata, a tumultuous blare of conches and kettledrums rose up on every side.

6.71.4 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira addressed Dhṛṣṭadyumna: O mighty-armed one, scorcher of foes, array the host in the form of the Makara, the sea-monster.

6.71.5 Thus addressed by Pārtha, the great chariot-warrior Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O great king, the best of chariot-fighters, gave his commands to the warriors.

6.71.6 Drupada, with the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya, formed its head; Sahadeva and the great chariot-warrior Nakula were its two eyes; and the mighty Bhīmasena, O great king, was its snout.

6.71.7 The son of Subhadrā, the sons of Draupadī, the Rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, Sātyaki, and the King of Righteousness took their stand at the neck of the formation.

6.71.8 At the back, O great king, stood Virāṭa, lord of armies, together with Dhṛṣṭadyumna, surrounded by a great host.

6.71.9 The five Kekaya brothers held the left flank; while Dhṛṣṭaketu, tiger among men, and the valiant Karakarṣa, taking the right wing, stood to guard the formation.

6.71.10 At the two feet, O great king, stood the illustrious great chariot-warriors Kuntibhoja and Śatānīka, encircled by a mighty host.

6.71.11 And the mighty bowman Śikhaṇḍī, ringed about by the Somakas, together with Irāvat, took his post at the tail of the Makara.

6.71.12 Having arrayed this great formation thus, O Bhārata, the Pāṇḍavas, mailed and armored at sunrise, stood ready once more for battle, O great king.

6.71.13 Swiftly they advanced upon the Kauravas with elephants, horses, chariots, and foot, with banners raised aloft and varied, and with weapons gleaming and keen.

6.71.14 Beholding that arrayed host, your father Devavrata, O king, drew up his own army in counter-formation as a great Krauñca, the heron.

6.71.15 At its beak shone the mighty bowman Bhāradvāja; and Aśvatthāman and Kṛpa were its two eyes, O lord of men.

6.71.16 And Kṛtavarman, best among men and foremost of all bowmen, joined by the Kāmbojas, the Āraṭṭas, and the Bāhlīkas, stood at the head.

6.71.17 At the neck stood Śūrasena and your son Duryodhana, O honored one, O great king, surrounded by many kings.

6.71.18 The lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, together with the Madras, Sauvīras, and Kekayas, held the breast, O best of men, encircled by a great host.

6.71.19 Suśarman, lord of Prasthala, with his own troops, took the left wing and stood there mailed and ready.

6.71.20 The Tuṣāras, the Yavanas, and the Śakas, together with the Cūcupas, holding the right wing, stood guard over the formation, O Bhārata.

6.71.21 Śrutāyus, Śatāyus, and the son of Somadatta, O honored one, took their stand at the rear of the array, guarding one another.

6.71.22 Then the Pāṇḍavas closed with the Kauravas for battle at sunrise, O great king, and thereupon a mighty combat began.

6.71.23 Chariot-warriors charged the elephants, and elephants advanced upon the chariots; horsemen rushed at horsemen, and chariot-fighters at riders.

6.71.24 And the chariot-warrior fell upon the charioteer and upon the elephants in that great battle, O king; the elephant-riders fell upon the chariot-riders, and the chariot-fighters upon the horsemen.

6.71.25 Chariot-fighters with foot soldiers, and horsemen too with foot soldiers, charged at one another in the fray, O king, beside themselves with fury.

6.71.26 Guarded by Bhīmasena, Arjuna, the twins, and other great chariot-warriors, the army of the Pāṇḍavas shone like the night adorned with stars.

6.71.27 And likewise your army, with Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Droṇa, Śalya, Duryodhana, and the rest, blazed forth like the sky thick-set with planets.

6.71.28 But the valiant son of Kuntī, Bhīmasena, seeing Droṇa, drove with swift horses against the host of Bhāradvāja.

6.71.29 But Droṇa, enraged in the fight, the valorous one, pierced Bhīma in battle with nine iron shafts, aiming at his vital parts, O king.

6.71.30 Then Bhīma, struck hard in the combat, sent the charioteer of Bhāradvāja off to the abode of Yama.

6.71.31 Then the mighty Bhāradvāja, taking the reins of his horses himself, scattered the Pāṇḍava army as fire consumes a heap of cotton.

6.71.32 Cut down by Droṇa and by Bhīṣma, O best of men, the Sṛñjayas together with the Kekayas turned and fled in defeat.

6.71.33 In the same way your army, mangled by Bhīma and Arjuna, swooned here and there, like a lovely woman overcome with wine.

6.71.34 Then both formations were broken apart in that destruction of the foremost heroes, and a terrible confusion arose between your men and theirs, O Bhārata.

6.71.35 We beheld this marvel of your warriors locked with the foe, O Bhārata: how all of them, brought to a single narrow path, fought on.

6.71.36 Warding off one another's weapons, O lord of peoples, the great chariot-warriors of both Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas fought hand to hand.

6.72.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: An army so rich in excellences, so manifold and supreme, arrayed thus according to the science of war, and unfailing too, O Saṃjaya—

6.72.2 Exceedingly well-provisioned, ever devoted to our cause, obedient, free of vice, its valor proven in former days—

6.72.3 Neither too old nor too young, neither lean nor gross, for the most part lithe and tall of limb, sinewy of body and free of disease—

6.72.4 Equipped with armor and weapons, furnished with weapons in abundance, skilled in sword-combat, in wrestling, and in fighting with the mace—

6.72.5 In battle skilled with the lance, the spear, and the javelin, with iron bludgeons, with slings, with darts, and with pestle-clubs, in every kind—

6.72.6 With the kampana, with the bow, and with the barbed kaṇapa in every form, with the wondrous catapult-slings, and skilled in fist-fighting too—

6.72.7 Versed firsthand in the sciences, trained hard in martial exercises, and accomplished in every art of wielding weapons—

6.72.8 Skilled in mounting, in leaping aside, in advancing, in springing across the intervening space, in striking aright, in charging, and in withdrawing—

6.72.9 Many times well-tested in the handling of elephants, horses, and chariots, and, after due examination, provided with its wages in proper measure—

6.72.10 Not through mere fellowship, nor through favor, nor on account of kinship, nor through the force of friendship, nor by the recruiting of low-born men—

6.72.11 Composed of prosperous, noble men, whose kinsmen were contented and well-honored, men richly bound by past favors, renowned and high of spirit—

6.72.12 Guarded by victorious, foremost men of many a foremost deed, like unto the guardians of the world, my son, and famed throughout the earth—

6.72.13 Protected by many Kṣatriyas honored across the world, who had come to us of their own free will with their troops and their retainers—

6.72.14 Like the great ocean filled on every side by rivers, encompassed by chariots and elephants that, though wingless, seemed to bear wings—

6.72.15 That dreadful sea whose waters were its varied warriors, whose surging waves were its mounts, thronged with slings, swords, maces, spears, arrows, and lances—

6.72.16 Close-packed with banners and ornaments, heaped with jeweled cloth, set astir by its coursing mounts as by the rush of the wind—

6.72.17 Roaring as though shoreless, vast and like unto the sea, well-shielded by Droṇa and Bhīṣma, and guarded by Kṛtavarman—

6.72.18 And by Kṛpa and Duḥśāsana, and by the warriors led by Jayadratha, by Bhagadatta and Vikarṇa, by the son of Droṇa, by the son of Subala, and by Bāhlika—

6.72.19 Guarded by the world's foremost heroes, steadfast and great of soul—that such an army should be cut down in battle, this is the working of an ancient fate.

6.72.20 Never had men beheld a martial array such as this, nor even the blessed sages of old upon the earth, O Saṃjaya.

6.72.21 When so vast a flood of force, furnished with the wealth of weapons and missiles, is slain in battle, what can this be but the work of destiny?

6.72.22 All this appears to me turned upside down, O Saṃjaya, in that so terrible a host could not overcome the Pāṇḍavas in the fight.

6.72.23 Or else the gods have gathered there for the Pāṇḍavas' sake and do battle against my army—and so it is being slain, O Saṃjaya.

6.72.24 For Vidura spoke counsel here that was salutary and wholesome, O Saṃjaya; yet my dull-witted son Duryodhana would not take it to heart.

6.72.25 I think that the mind of that all-knowing, great-souled one was set, even beforehand, upon what was foreordained, my son—for he had foreseen all this long ago.

6.72.26 Or else, O Saṃjaya, all this was bound by every means to come to pass: as the Ordainer fashioned it of old, so it is, and not otherwise.

6.73.1 Saṃjaya said: Through your own fault, O king, has such a calamity come upon you; for Duryodhana does not see, O bull of the Bhāratas, those things which you saw, O king, when the confounding of righteousness was wrought.

6.73.2 Through your fault that game of dice took place long ago, O lord of peoples; through your fault this war with the Pāṇḍavas began. Now reap the fruit yourself, having wrought the evil by your own hand.

6.73.3 For the deed that one does oneself is by oneself enjoyed, whether here or hereafter, O king; and this has come upon you exactly as it was earned.

6.73.4 Therefore, O king, having met with this great calamity, make yourself steadfast and hear the battle as it befell, while I recount it, O honored one.

6.73.5 Bhīmasena, having cleft the great host with his whetted arrows, then, that hero, fell upon all the younger brothers of Duryodhana.

6.73.6 Duḥśāsana, Durviṣaha, Duḥsaha, Durmada, Jaya, Jayatsena, Vikarṇa, Citrasena, Sudarśana—

6.73.7 Cārucitra, Suvarman, Duṣkarṇa, and Karṇa as well—these and many other great chariot-warriors standing near at hand.

6.73.8 Seeing the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in furious wrath, the mighty Bhīma plunged into that great host shielded in battle by Bhīṣma.

6.73.9 Then they called to one another: Here has Vṛkodara come! Let us seize him alive, we kings, and take him captive!

6.73.10 Pārtha, ringed about by those resolute brothers, was like the Sun at the dissolution of all creatures, hemmed in by the cruel great planets.

6.73.11 Having reached the very midst of the formation, no fear entered the Pāṇḍava, even as it entered not the great Indra when he met the Dānavas in the war of gods and demons.

6.73.12 Then hundreds of thousands of chariot-warriors on every side, O lord, hemmed in that single man, covering him with their dreadful shafts.

6.73.13 That hero, heedless of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, slew in battle their foremost fighters—the elephant-riders, the horsemen, and the chariot-warriors.

6.73.14 Knowing the resolve of those who sought to take him captive, the great-minded Bhīmasena set his mind, O king, upon the slaughter of them all.

6.73.15 Then, forsaking his chariot and taking up his mace, the Pāṇḍava smote that vast ocean which was the flood of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's host.

6.73.16 When Bhīmasena had plunged in, Dhṛṣṭadyumna too, the son of Pṛṣata, leaving Droṇa, set out in haste for where the son of Subala was.

6.73.17 Having cloven the great host of your warriors, that bull among men came upon Bhīmasena's empty chariot in the fray.

6.73.18 Beholding Viśoka, Bhīmasena's charioteer, alone amid the battle, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O great king, grew sick at heart and well-nigh swooned away.

6.73.19 Choked with tears, uttering a faltering voice, he asked in grief: "Where is Bhīma, dearer to me than my own breath?"

6.73.20 Viśoka, with joined palms, spoke thus to Dhṛṣṭadyumna: "Having stationed me here, the mighty and valiant son of Pāṇḍu

6.73.21 has plunged into this great ocean that is the host of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons, O tiger among men, after speaking to me these affectionate words:

6.73.22 'Wait for me, charioteer, holding back the horses but a moment, while I swiftly slay these who are bent upon my destruction.'

6.73.23 Then, beholding that mighty one rushing forward with his mace in hand, a fierce clash arose among all the troops alike.

6.73.24 And while that tumultuous and terrible battle was raging, O king, your friend, cleaving the great array, entered into it."

6.73.25 Having heard the words of Viśoka, the mighty Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣata, answered the charioteer there in the midst of the battle:

6.73.26 "There is no purpose for me, charioteer, in living this day, if I forsake Bhīmasena in battle and cast off my love for the Pāṇḍavas.

6.73.27 If I go without Bhīma, what will the warrior-caste say of me—that, when Bhīma had passed onto a single perilous path, I stood idle in the fight?

6.73.28 The gods, with Agni at their head, work the ruin of that man who, abandoning his comrades, returns safe and sound to his home.

6.73.29 Mighty Bhīma is my friend and my kinsman; he is devoted to us, and I too am devoted to him, that slayer of foes.

6.73.30 I shall therefore go to that place where Vṛkodara has gone. Behold me slaying the enemy, as Vāsava slew the Dānavas."

6.73.31 Having spoken thus, the hero advanced through the midst of the Bhārata host, along Bhīmasena's tracks marked by elephants crushed by his mace.

6.73.32 Then he beheld Bhīma scorching the enemy's army, shattering the kings in battle by main force, as the wind shatters trees.

6.73.33 Smitten in the battle, the chariot-warriors, the horsemen, the foot-soldiers, and the elephants alike raised a great cry of anguish.

6.73.34 And a wail of woe arose, O venerable one, from your army as it was being slaughtered by the skilled Bhīmasena, that fighter of wondrous craft.

6.73.35 Then all those masters of weapons, surrounding Vṛkodara, fearlessly closed upon him with a shower of missiles from every side.

6.73.36 Seeing the foremost of weapon-bearers, the son of Pāṇḍu, beset on every side by the heroes of the world, by that dreadful and well-marshalled host, the mighty son of Pṛṣata came toward Bhīmasena.

6.73.37 Then the son of Pṛṣata drew near and comforted Bhīmasena—his body torn by arrows, on foot, spewing the venom of his wrath, mace in hand like Death himself at the hour of doom.

6.73.38 Swiftly the great-souled one drew the darts from his body, mounted him upon his own chariot, and, embracing Bhīmasena warmly, consoled him in the very midst of the foe.

6.73.39 Then, as that great struggle raged, your son went up to his brothers: "This evil-souled son of Drupada has joined with Bhīmasena. Go, all of you together, to slay him; let not the foe make havoc of your ranks."

6.73.40 Hearing those words and unable to brook them, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, urged by their eldest brother's command, rushed forth with uplifted weapons to the kill, terrible as baleful comets at the dissolution of an age.

6.73.41 Seizing their painted bows, those heroes, making the earth tremble with the twang of their bowstrings, rained arrows upon the son of Drupada, as rain-clouds drench a mountain with their torrents of water; yet, striking them down with keen shafts, that fighter of wondrous craft was nowise daunted in the battle.

6.73.42 Beholding your sons risen up and standing about him in battle, the young son of Drupada, that mighty car-warrior, eager to slay those fierce heroes, fitted the bewildering weapon, the pramohana, sorely wroth against your sons, O king, as great Indra against the Daityas in battle.

6.73.43 Then the heroic warriors were bewildered in the battle, their minds and senses smitten by the pramohana weapon; and all the Kurus, with their horses, elephants, and chariots, fled in every direction—seeing your sons, swooning and stripped of their wits, as though seized by their last hour.

6.73.44 At that very moment, Droṇa, the foremost of weapon-bearers, fell upon Drupada and pierced him with three cruel arrows.

6.73.45 Sorely wounded then in the battle by Droṇa, O king, Drupada the lord of earth withdrew, remembering their ancient feud.

6.73.46 Having vanquished Drupada, the valiant Droṇa blew his conch; and hearing the blast of his conch, all the Somakas trembled.

6.73.47 Then the resplendent Droṇa, foremost of weapon-bearers, learned that your sons had been bewildered in the battle by the pramohana weapon.

6.73.48 Then Droṇa, eager for the king's welfare, hastened thither from the field; and there the valiant Bhāradvāja, that mighty archer, beheld Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Bhīma ranging through the great battle.

6.73.49 And that mighty car-warrior beheld your sons sunk in stupor; then, taking up the prajñā weapon, he dispelled the bewildering weapon.

6.73.50 Then your sons, those great car-warriors, their life-breath restored, advanced once more in the battle to fight against Bhīma and the son of Pṛṣata.

6.73.51 Then Yudhiṣṭhira, summoning his own troops, said: "Let them go with all their might to follow the path of Bhīma and the son of Pṛṣata in the fight.

6.73.52 Let the twelve mailed heroes on their chariots, with the son of Subhadrā at their head, go and learn the tidings, for my heart is ill at ease."

6.73.53 Thus commanded, those brave and dauntless warriors, all of them proud of their manhood, answered "So be it," and, when the sun had reached the meridian, every one of them set forth.

6.73.54 The Kekayas, the sons of Draupadī, and the valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu, placing Abhimanyu at their head, set forth surrounded by a great host.

6.73.55 Those tamers of foes, forming in the battle the needle-mouthed array, broke through that chariot-division of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons in the fray.

6.73.56 As those mighty archers advanced with Abhimanyu at their head, your army—gripped by dread of Bhīmasena and confounded by Dhṛṣṭadyumna—

6.73.57 was unable to hold its ground, O lord of men; it stood like a woman swooning with drink and bewildered upon the road.

6.73.58 Those mighty archers, their banners wrought of gold, advanced and rushed onward, eager to come to the aid of Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Vṛkodara.

6.73.59 And the two, beholding those mighty archers led by Abhimanyu, were filled with joy as they smote your host.

6.73.60 But seeing his own teacher suddenly bearing down upon him, the heroic Pāñcāla prince, the son of Pṛṣata, no longer counted on the slaughter of your sons.

6.73.61 Then, having set Vṛkodara upon the chariot of the Kekaya prince, in great wrath he charged against Droṇa, that master of the arts of the bow.

6.73.62 As he swiftly bore down, the valiant Bhāradvāja, slayer of foes, in wrath sundered his bow with a broad-headed shaft.

6.73.63 And he sent forth hundreds of other arrows at the son of Pṛṣata, for the welfare of Duryodhana, mindful of the bread of his lord.

6.73.64 Then the son of Pṛṣata, slayer of hostile heroes, taking up another bow, pierced Droṇa with seventy gold-feathered, stone-whetted shafts.

6.73.65 Droṇa, tormentor of foes, again clove his bow, and swiftly slew his four horses with four excellent arrows.

6.73.66 That valiant one sent forth a dread shaft of Yama's destroying power, and with a broad-headed arrow dispatched his charioteer to death.

6.73.67 Swiftly leaping down from that car whose horses were slain, the mighty-armed great car-warrior mounted upon the great chariot of Abhimanyu.

6.73.68 Then the host, with its chariots, elephants, and horses, was shaken, while Bhīmasena looked on and the son of Pṛṣata looked on.

6.73.69 Seeing that army broken by Droṇa of boundless splendour, all those great car-warriors together were unable to stem its rout.

6.73.70 And that army, slaughtered by Droṇa with keen arrows, wandered hither and thither, like the ocean churned into turmoil.

6.73.71 Beholding that army thus, your host was filled with joy; and seeing the teacher in his wrath scorching the enemy's array, the warriors cried out on every side, "Well done! Well done!" O Bhārata.

6.74.1 Saṃjaya said: Then King Duryodhana, recovered from his swoon, once more turned back the unwavering Bhīma with showers of arrows.

6.74.2 And your sons, those great car-warriors, banding together once more and closing upon Bhīma in battle, fought him with high resolve.

6.74.3 Bhīmasena too, regaining his own chariot in the battle and mounting it again, the mighty-armed one advanced to where your son was.

6.74.4 And taking up his swift, sturdy, gaily-painted bow, the bringer of death, he pierced your sons with arrows in the fight.

6.74.5 Then King Duryodhana struck the mighty Bhīmasena sorely in a vital part with a sharp-pointed iron shaft.

6.74.6 Sorely wounded by your bow-wielding son, that mighty archer, his eyes red with wrath, swiftly raised his bow

6.74.7 and planted three arrows in Duryodhana's two arms and his breast; yet the king, though so struck, stirred not, like the king of mountains.

6.74.8 Seeing the two, wroth in battle, smiting each other, all the younger brothers of Duryodhana, those heroes, ready to lay down their lives,

6.74.9 recalling their former counsel for the seizing of him of dread deeds, and resolving it firmly in their minds, set about to take him captive.

6.74.10 As they bore down upon him in the fray, the mighty Bhīmasena went forth to meet them, O great king, as an elephant meets rival elephants.

6.74.11 And in great wrath that splendid and far-famed one smote with an iron shaft Citrasena, your son, O great king.

6.74.12 And likewise he struck your other sons, O Bhārata, in the fight with manifold gold-feathered, swift-speeding arrows.

6.74.13 Then, having marshalled their own ranks on every side in the battle, those twelve great car-warriors led by Abhimanyu,

6.74.14 sent by the King of Righteousness and following in Bhīmasena's track, advanced, O great king, to meet your mighty sons.

6.74.15 Beholding those heroes stationed on their chariots, splendid as the sun and fire, all mighty archers, radiant and clothed in glory,

6.74.16 blazing in the great battle and gleaming in their golden mail, your mighty sons let Bhīma be in the fray.

6.74.17 But the son of Kuntī could not brook that they should escape with their lives; pursuing them, he once again harried all your sons.

6.74.18 Then, seeing Abhimanyu in the battle joined with Bhīmasena and the son of Pṛṣata, the great car-warriors in your army—

6.74.19 Duryodhana and the rest, their bows grasped firm, with their horses urged to great speed, advanced to where those chariots were.

6.74.20 Then in the afternoon, O king, a great battle broke forth between your mighty warriors and the foe, O Bhārata.

6.74.21 Abhimanyu, having slain Vikarṇa's swift horses, then covered him with twenty-five small arrows.

6.74.22 Abandoning that car whose horses were slain, Vikarṇa, the great car-warrior, mounted, O king, the shining chariot of Citrasena.

6.74.23 As the two brothers, those increasers of the Kuru line, stood upon one chariot, the son of Arjuna covered them with a net of arrows, O Bhārata.

6.74.24 Then Durjaya and Vikarṇa pierced the son of Kṛṣṇa with five iron shafts; yet the son of Kṛṣṇa stirred not, immovable as Meru.

6.74.25 And Duḥśāsana in the battle, O venerable one, fought against the five Kekayas, O lord of kings; and that was as it were a wondrous thing.

6.74.26 The sons of Draupadī, enraged in battle, held Duryodhana at bay; each one of them, O lord of the people, struck your son with three arrows.

6.74.27 And your unassailable son too, O king, smote the sons of Draupadī in battle, each one separately, with sharp shafts.

6.74.28 Pierced by them in turn and drenched with blood, he shone like a mountain streaked with mineral-laden torrents pouring down its slopes.

6.74.29 Bhīṣma too, mighty in the fray, O king, drove back the host of the Pāṇḍavas as a herdsman drives the cattle of his flock.

6.74.30 Then, O lord of the people, the twang of the Gāṇḍīva arose on the right of the army, as Pārtha struck down his foes.

6.74.31 On every side in that battle headless trunks rose up, O Bhārata, amid the armies of both the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas.

6.74.32 With chariots for boats those tigers among men crossed that sea of armies, whose water was blood, whose whirlpools were chariots, whose islands were elephants, and whose waves were horses.

6.74.33 With hands lopped off, stripped of armor, robbed of their bodies, the foremost of men were seen lying fallen there by hundreds and by thousands.

6.74.34 With slain rutting elephants, awash in floods of blood, the earth shone, O best of the Bhāratas, as though strewn with mountains.

6.74.35 There we beheld a wondrous thing, O Bhārata, among both your men and theirs: there was not a single man there who did not yearn to fight.

6.74.36 Thus the heroes fought, your warriors together with the Pāṇḍavas, seeking great renown and longing for victory in the battle.

6.75.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, as the sun reddened toward setting, King Duryodhana, frenzied with the battle and eager to slay Bhīma, charged upon him.

6.75.2 Beholding that hero among men, his inveterate foe, coming on, Bhīmasena, sorely enraged, spoke these words:

6.75.3 This is the hour I have awaited through many a long year. Today I shall slay you, unless you forsake the field of battle.

6.75.4 Today, with your death, I shall wipe out the affliction of Kuntī, the whole of our exile in the forest, and the affliction of Draupadī.

6.75.5 You who, turning gambler, held the Pāṇḍavas in contempt—behold now, O son of Gāndhārī, the calamity come upon you for that sin.

6.75.6 Following of old the counsel of Karṇa and of the son of Subala, you scorned the Pāṇḍavas and out of willfulness wrought your pleasure upon them.

6.75.7 And in your folly you spurned the Dāśārha when he came pleading, and gladly you gave Ulūka your insolent message.

6.75.8 Today I shall slay you with your followers and your kinsmen, and so wipe clean the sin you wrought of old.

6.75.9 Having spoken thus, he drew his dreadful bow and brandished it again and again, and took up terrible shafts that gleamed like the great thunderbolt.

6.75.10 Swiftly, in fury, he loosed at once at Suyodhana twenty-six arrows, shaped like blazing tongues of fire, like thunderbolts, flying straight.

6.75.11 With two he split his bow, with two he pierced his charioteer, and with four he sent his swift horses to the abode of Yama.

6.75.12 And with two well-drawn shafts that crusher of foes severed in the battle the royal parasol from the king's splendid chariot.

6.75.13 And with three he clove asunder his blazing, lofty standard; and having cut it down, he roared aloud before the very eyes of your son.

6.75.14 And that splendid standard, adorned with many gems, fell suddenly from the chariot to the earth, like lightning from a storm-cloud.

6.75.15 All the kings saw the standard of the Kuru lord—the gleaming, jewel-wrought, splendid serpent emblem, bright as the sun—cut down.

6.75.16 Then Bhīma, that great car-warrior, smiling as it were, struck him in the fight with ten arrows, as one goads a great elephant with hooks.

6.75.17 Then Jayadratha, king of the Sindhus, foremost of car-warriors, guarded Duryodhana's rear as befits a man of worth.

6.75.18 And Kṛpa, foremost of car-warriors, mounted the wrathful Duryodhana of immeasurable might, that scion of the Kurus, upon his own chariot, O king.

6.75.19 Sorely wounded and stricken by Bhīmasena in the encounter, King Duryodhana then sank down upon the floor of the chariot.

6.75.20 Then Jayadratha, eager to slay Bhīma, surrounded him and, with many thousands of chariots, barred every quarter against him.

6.75.21 Then, O king, Dhṛṣṭaketu and the valiant Abhimanyu, the Kekayas and the sons of Draupadī, did battle against your sons.

6.75.22 Citrasena and Sucitra, Citrāśva and Citradarśana, Cārucitra and Sucāru, and likewise Nanda and Upananda—

6.75.23 these eight great archers, tender of years and full of glory, hemmed in the chariot of Abhimanyu on every side, O king.

6.75.24 Then high-souled Abhimanyu swiftly smote them, piercing each one with five smooth-jointed arrows, shafts like the thunderbolt and like death itself, sped from his wondrous weapon.

6.75.25 Brooking it not, they all rained sharp arrows upon the son of Subhadrā, that best of car-warriors, as rain-clouds pour upon Mount Meru.

6.75.26 Though hard pressed in the battle, Abhimanyu, master of weapons and frenzied for the fight, made your warriors tremble, O great king, as the Wielder of the Thunderbolt made the great Asuras tremble in the war of gods and demons.

6.75.27 Then, O Bhārata, that foremost of car-warriors sent against Vikarṇa fourteen terrible broad-headed shafts, like venomous serpents, cutting down his standard, his charioteer, and his horses, as though dancing in the battle.

6.75.28 And again the mighty son of Subhadrā sent against Vikarṇa other arrows, yellow, with unblunted points, whetted on stone.

6.75.29 Reaching Vikarṇa, those shafts fledged with heron and peacock feathers pierced his body and entered the earth, like blazing serpents.

6.75.30 Those arrows, gold-feathered and gold-pointed, drenched in Vikarṇa's blood, were seen upon the earth as though vomiting gore.

6.75.31 Seeing Vikarṇa thus pierced through, his other brothers rushed in the battle upon the car-warriors led by the son of Subhadrā.

6.75.32 Charging swiftly likewise, those warriors splendid as the sun, mounted on their chariots, furious and frenzied for the fight, pierced one another in the battle.

6.75.33 Durmukha, having pierced Śrutakarman with seven swift arrows, severed his standard with one and his charioteer with seven.

6.75.34 His horses, swift as the wind, caparisoned in nets of gold, he reached and slew with six shafts, and struck down his charioteer.

6.75.35 Standing in his car with its horses slain, the great car-warrior Śrutakarman, sorely enraged, hurled a lance like a great blazing meteor.

6.75.36 That keen, flaming lance, having cleft through the broad armor of the glorious Durmukha, tore on and entered the earth.

6.75.37 Seeing him there bereft of his car, the mighty Sutasoma, before the eyes of all the armies, took him up onto his own chariot.

6.75.38 The hero Śrutakīrti likewise advanced in the battle, O king, against your glorious son Jayatsena, eager to slay him.

6.75.39 As high-souled Śrutakīrti drew his bow, your son Jayatsena, O king, cut it asunder in the battle with a keen razor-headed shaft, smiling as it were, O Bhārata.

6.75.40 Seeing his brother with bow cut through, the fiery Śatānīka came to his aid, roaring again and again like a lion.

6.75.41 And Śatānīka, twanging his bow hard in the battle, swiftly pierced Jayatsena with ten stone-whetted shafts.

6.75.42 Then with another keen shaft that cleaves through every armor, Śatānīka pierced Jayatsena deep in the breast.

6.75.43 While this was passing, Duṣkarṇa, beside his brother and mad with rage, severed in the battle the bow of Nakula's son.

6.75.44 Then, taking up another bow, excellent and equal to its burden, the mighty Śatānīka laid hold of sharpened arrows.

6.75.45 And crying "Stand! Stand!" he challenged Duṣkarṇa before his brother and loosed sharp arrows like blazing serpents.

6.75.46 Then, O sir, with one shaft he cut his bow and with two his charioteer, swiftly in the battle, and pierced him himself with seven.

6.75.47 And that stainless warrior swiftly slew his dappled horses, swift as thought, all of them, with twelve sharp arrows.

6.75.48 Then with another broad-headed shaft, well-loosed and unerring, the enraged warrior pierced Duṣkarṇa deep in the breast in the battle.

6.75.49 Seeing Duṣkarṇa slain, O king, five great car-warriors, seeking to kill Śatānīka, surrounded him on every side.

6.75.50 As the glorious Śatānīka was being covered with showers of arrows, the five Kekaya brothers, in fury, rushed to his aid.

6.75.51 Seeing them charging on, your sons, great car-warriors, advanced against them, O great king, like elephants against mighty elephants.

6.75.52 Durmukha and Durjaya, the youth Durmarṣaṇa, Śatruṃjaya and Śatrusaha—all those glorious brothers, in fury, advanced together against the Kekayas, O great king.

6.75.53 With chariots vast as cities, yoked with steeds swift as thought, adorned with banners of varied and brilliant hues,

6.75.54 those heroes, bearing splendid bows, with gleaming armor and standards, entered the enemy host as lions pass from forest to forest.

6.75.55 Then between them, as they smote one another, there raged a tumultuous and most terrible battle, with chariots and elephants locked together—a battle of men who had wronged each other, O king, that swelled the realm of Yama.

6.75.56 After the sun had set a brief while, they waged a most fearful fight; car-warriors and horsemen were strewn about by the thousands.

6.75.57 Then the son of Śaṃtanu, Bhīṣma, in fury, with smooth-jointed arrows destroyed the host of those high-souled ones, and with his shafts sent the armies of the Pāñcālas to the abode of Yama.

6.75.58 Having thus broken the host of the Pāṇḍavas, that great archer sounded the recall of the armies and withdrew to his own camp, O king.

6.75.59 And the King of Righteousness too, beholding Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Vṛkodara, kissed them both upon the head and, well pleased, went to his camp.

6.76.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, O great king, the heroes, who had wronged one another, drenched in blood, went each to their own camps.

6.76.2 And having rested as was meet and paid one another due honor, they appeared again in their armor, longing to do battle once more.

6.76.3 Then your son, O king, overwhelmed with care, his limbs smeared with flowing blood, questioned his grandsire thus:

6.76.4 "The fierce and terrible armies of the Pāṇḍavas, well arrayed and thick with banners—their swift, heroic floods of chariots have torn through, slain, and crushed our hosts.

6.76.5 Bewildering all in the fight, those glorious warriors penetrated even that crocodile array, firm as the thunderbolt, and by Bhīma I have been struck down with dreadful arrows that shone like the rod of Death.

6.76.6 Looking up at him in his wrath, I swooned with terror, O king, and found no peace today. I desire, O you of true vows, by your grace to win victory and to slay the sons of Pāṇḍu."

6.76.7 Thus addressed, the high-souled son of Gaṅgā, foremost of those who bear arms, perceiving that Duryodhana was stirred to wrath, smiled, and the wise one, untroubled in mind, answered him:

6.76.8 "Plunging into their host with utmost effort, with my whole soul, O prince, I desire to grant you victory and well-being, nor do I shield myself for your sake.

6.76.9 But these many fierce car-warriors, glorious, most valiant, masters of weapons, who are the Pāṇḍavas' allies in battle—untiring, they spew forth the venom of their wrath.

6.76.10 They cannot be conquered here in haste, swollen with valor and made your foes by you. Yet I shall fight against them, O king, with my whole soul, casting away my very life, O hero."

6.76.11 In battle, for your sake, O mighty one, my life is no longer the thing I will most guard this day. For your sake I would burn up all the worlds, gods and demons alike — how much more, then, your enemies here.

6.76.12 Therefore I will do battle with the Pāṇḍavas, O king, and I will do all that is dear to you." Hearing this very thing, Duryodhana grew supremely confident and glad of heart.

6.76.13 Then, full of joy, he commanded all the armies and all the kings: "March forth!" At his order they swiftly issued out — myriads of chariots, horses, foot-soldiers, and elephants.

6.76.14 Filled with high spirit, O king, vast, bristling with weapons of every kind, arrayed with elephants and horses and foot-soldiers, your forces shone resplendent upon the field of battle, O king.

6.76.15 Drawn up in well-marshalled bands, the herds of tusked elephants blazed forth on every side; and your troops, O lord of men, were commanded by warriors skilled in weapons and missiles.

6.76.16 By the chariots and the massed foot-soldiers, elephants, and horses, advancing into battle in proper order as they were urged on, dust of the hue of the newly risen sun was raised up, and it shone as it veiled the very rays of the sun.

6.76.17 The banners set upon chariots and elephants, stirred by the wind and whirling on every side, shone in that battle, O king — of many colors, like flashes of lightning ranged with clouds in the sky.

6.76.18 As the kings twanged their bows, there arose a tumultuous and terrible din, like that of the ocean churned by the hosts of gods and great demons in the first age of the world.

6.76.19 Roaring fiercely, of many forms and colors, the army of your sons surged up in this manner — destroyer of the enemy's host, resembling the massed clouds at the ending of an age.

6.77.1 Saṃjaya said: Then to your son, who had sunk again into brooding thought, the son of Gaṅgā, foremost of the Bhāratas, spoke words meant to gladden his heart.

6.77.2 "I, and Droṇa, and Śalya, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas, and Aśvatthāman, and Vikarṇa, and Somadatta, and the lord of the Sindhu,

6.77.3 Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, Bāhlika together with the Bāhlīkas, the mighty king of the Trigartas, and the king of Magadha hard to conquer,

6.77.4 and Bṛhadbala of Kosala, Citrasena, Viviṃśati, and chariot-warriors by the many thousands, splendid under their great banners —

6.77.5 and horses of the finest breeds, O king, well mounted by their riders, and lordly elephants frenzied with rut, their cheeks and faces streaming with ichor,

6.77.6 and valiant foot-soldiers too, bearing weapons of every sort, sprung from many lands, are ready to fight for your sake.

6.77.7 These and many others, who for your sake have given up their lives, are able even to conquer the gods in battle — such is my judgment.

6.77.8 Yet I must always speak to you, O king, what is for your good: the Pāṇḍavas cannot be conquered even by the gods with Vāsava at their head, for they have Vāsudeva as their ally and possess valor equal to great Indra's.

6.77.9 Nevertheless, O lord of kings, in every way I shall carry out your word: either I will conquer the Pāṇḍavas in battle, or the Pāṇḍavas will conquer me."

6.77.10 Having spoken thus, he gave him an auspicious herb endowed with potency, one that draws out embedded darts; and at once his wounds were freed of their shafts.

6.77.11 Then, when the dawn broke clear, the valiant Bhīṣma, skilled in battle-arrays, himself marshalled a formation with his own army.

6.77.12 It was the Circle array, O best of men, thick with weapons of every kind, filled with chief warriors and with elephants and foot-soldiers.

6.77.13 It was encircled on every side by chariots in their many thousands and by great troops of horsemen bearing swords and lances.

6.77.14 To each elephant were assigned seven chariots, to each chariot seven horsemen; behind each horseman ten archers, and to each archer seven shield-bearers.

6.77.15 Arrayed in this manner, O great king, with its mighty chariot-warriors, your army stood ready for the great battle, guarded in the fight by Bhīṣma.

6.77.16 Ten thousand horses, and likewise as many elephants, and ten thousand chariots besides — and your sons, clad in mail, the valiant ones led by Citrasena, guarded their grandsire on every side.

6.77.17 Guarded by those heroes, and themselves shielding him in turn, the mighty kings, fully armed, were seen ranged about him.

6.77.18 Duryodhana, clad in armor and mounted upon his chariot in the battle, blazed forth, graced with splendor, like Śakra in the third heaven.

6.77.19 Then there arose a mighty clamor from your sons, O Bhārata, and the tumultuous rumble of chariots and the blare of musical instruments.

6.77.20 Marshalled by Bhīṣma for the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, facing westward in the fight, the Circle — a vast and mighty array, impenetrable to the slayers of foes — shone on every side, O king, hard for the enemy to approach in battle.

6.77.21 But beholding the Circle, that most terrible array, King Yudhiṣṭhira himself then formed the Thunderbolt array in answer.

6.77.22 When the troops were thus drawn up, each stationed in his appointed place, the chariot-warriors and the horsemen raised a lion-roar.

6.77.23 Eager to break the array, longing for battle, the heroes sallied forth against one another with their troops, ready to strike.

6.77.24 The son of Bhāradvāja advanced upon the Matsya king, and the son of Droṇa upon Śikhaṇḍin; King Duryodhana himself rushed against the grandson of Pṛṣata.

6.77.25 Nakula and Sahadeva, O king, went against the lord of the Madras; Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti fell upon Irāvat.

6.77.26 All the kings together did battle with Dhanaṃjaya in the fight, while Bhīmasena, intent in the fray, held back the son of Hṛdika.

6.77.27 Citrasena and Vikarṇa, and Durmarṣaṇa too, O lord — the son of Arjuna, O king, fought with these sons of yours in the battle.

6.77.28 The son of Hiḍimbā, foremost of the Rākṣasas, rushed with fury upon the great archer of Prāgjyotiṣa, as one frenzied elephant charges another in rut.

6.77.29 Then, O king, the Rākṣasa Alambusa, full of wrath, charged in battle against Sātyaki, hard to overcome in war, together with his troops.

6.77.30 Bhūriśravas, intent in the fight, did battle with Dhṛṣṭaketu, while Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Dharma engaged King Śrutāyus.

6.77.31 Cekitāna in the battle fought against Kṛpa; the rest, intent upon it, advanced against Bhīma, that mighty chariot-warrior.

6.77.32 Then kings by the thousands surrounded Dhanaṃjaya, their hands grasping spears, lances, iron arrows, maces, and bludgeons.

6.77.33 Then Arjuna, exceedingly wrathful, spoke thus to the descendant of Vṛṣṇi: "Behold, O Mādhava, the armies of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son drawn up for battle by the great-souled son of Gaṅgā, who knows the art of arrays.

6.77.34 Behold the heroes eager for battle, clad in mail, O Mādhava; behold the king of the Trigartas together with his brothers, O Keśava.

6.77.35 This day I shall lay them low before your very eyes, O Janārdana — these who, O best of the Yadus, are eager to fight with me upon the field of battle."

6.77.36 Having spoken thus, the son of Kuntī, stroking the string of his bow, rained down showers of arrows upon the throngs of kings.

6.77.37 Those great archers in their turn filled him with showers of arrows, as the rain-clouds fill a pool with their downpour in the season of the rains.

6.77.38 A great cry of woe arose within your army, O lord of peoples, when they saw the two Kṛṣṇas heavily overspread with arrows in that great battle.

6.77.39 The gods, the divine seers, the Gandharvas, and the great serpents were struck with the utmost wonder to behold the two Kṛṣṇas brought to such a pass.

6.77.40 Then, in his wrath, O king, Arjuna sent forth the Aindra weapon; and there we beheld the marvellous prowess of the Victor.

6.77.41 For with floods of arrows he warded off the rain of weapons loosed by his foes; and yet there was not one there, O lord of peoples, who was left unpierced.

6.77.42 Among those thousands of kings, and their horses and elephants likewise, the son of Pṛthā pierced one with two shafts and another with three, O honored one.

6.77.43 Being struck down by the son of Pṛthā, they fled to Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu; and for those sinking in the fathomless deep, Bhīṣma then became their savior.

6.77.44 As they came rushing back there in rout, your broken army was thrown into turmoil, O great king, like the mighty ocean lashed by the winds.

6.78.1 Saṃjaya said: When the battle had thus broken out, and Suśarman had withdrawn, and the heroes had been routed by the great-souled Pāṇḍava,

6.78.2 while your army, the like of the ocean, was being swiftly thrown into tumult, and the son of Gaṅgā had hastened forth to meet the Victor,

6.78.3 King Duryodhana, beholding the prowess of the son of Pṛthā in the battle, came up in haste and spoke to all those kings,

6.78.4 and at their head, in the midst of all the army, to the mighty hero Suśarman especially, with words that greatly kindled their spirit:

6.78.5 "Here is Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, foremost of the Kurus, eager with his whole soul to fight Dhanaṃjaya, having cast away his very life.

6.78.6 As that Bhārata advances upon the enemy's host with the whole army, do you all, intent in the battle, guard the grandsire."

6.78.7 "So be it," they said, and with that those troops of the kings, O great king, gathered together from every side about the grandsire.

6.78.8 Then Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, advancing suddenly, fell upon the mighty Bhārata Arjuna as he came on in the battle.

6.78.9 Borne upon his great chariot — yoked with pure-white horses, bearing the standard of the dread ape, thundering like a cloud — he shone exceedingly.

6.78.10 As Dhanaṃjaya advanced in the battle, a tumultuous outcry arose from all the troops out of fear at the sight of the Diademed One.

6.78.11 And seeing Kṛṣṇa, the reins in his hands, like a second sun risen to its noonday height upon the field, they were not able to gaze upon him.

6.78.12 Even so the Pāṇḍavas were not able to look upon Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, with his white horses and his white bow, like the white planet risen on high.

6.78.13 He was surrounded on every side by the high-souled Trigartas, by his brothers, by your sons, and by other mighty chariot-warriors.

6.78.14 The son of Bhāradvāja in the battle pierced the Matsya king with a feathered shaft, and with arrows cut down his banner and his bow, each with a single one, on the field.

6.78.15 Casting aside that severed bow, Virāṭa the commander of the host swiftly took up another, firm and able to bear the strain, and arrows shaped like venomous snakes, blazing like serpents.

6.78.16 He pierced Droṇa with three shafts and his horses with four, struck his banner with one and his charioteer with five, and his bow with a single arrow; thereat the bull among the twice-born was enraged.

6.78.17 Droṇa slew his horses with eight arrows with smooth-bending joints, O best of the Bhāratas, and his charioteer with one feathered shaft.

6.78.18 His horses slain and his charioteer dead, that best of chariot-warriors leapt down from his car and swiftly mounted the chariot of Śaṅkha.

6.78.19 Then those two, father and son, standing upon the one chariot, held off the son of Bhāradvāja by main force with a great shower of arrows.

6.78.20 Then the son of Bhāradvāja, in his wrath, swiftly hurled in the battle an arrow like a venomous serpent against Śaṅkha, O lord of men.

6.78.21 Cleaving his heart and drinking his blood in the fray, that arrow passed on into the earth, its surface drenched and reddened with gore.

6.78.22 Struck by the arrow of the son of Bhāradvāja, he fell swiftly from the chariot, letting go his bow and arrows, close beside his own father.

6.78.23 Seeing his own son slain, Virāṭa fled in terror, abandoning in the battle Droṇa, who was like Death with gaping jaws.

6.78.24 Then the son of Bhāradvāja swiftly rent asunder the great host of the Pāṇḍavas in the battle, by hundreds and by thousands.

6.78.25 Śikhaṇḍin too, O great king, closing with the son of Droṇa in the encounter, struck him between the brows with three swift iron arrows.

6.78.26 With those three set upon his forehead, that tiger among men shone like Meru with three golden peaks reared aloft.

6.78.27 Then Aśvatthāman, enraged, in half the twinkling of an eye, O king, took aim with many arrows at Śikhaṇḍin's charioteer, his banner, his horses, and his weapon, and brought them all down in the fight.

6.78.28 Leaping down from his car whose horses were slain, that foremost of chariot-warriors, Śikhaṇḍī, tormentor of foes, took up a keen-edged sword and a bright shield, and in his wrath ranged over the field like a hawk.

6.78.29 As he moved through the battle, sword in hand, O great king, the son of Droṇa could descry no opening in him; and that seemed a marvel indeed.

6.78.30 Then, O bull of the Bhāratas, the son of Droṇa, kindled to utmost fury, loosed many thousands of arrows in that fray.

6.78.31 But that most terrible shower of arrows, descending upon him in battle, the foremost of the mighty cut apart with his sharp-edged sword.

6.78.32 Then the son of Droṇa shattered his bright and lovely shield, blazoned with a hundred moons, and broke his sword in the encounter; and with his keen shafts, O king, he pierced him again and again.

6.78.33 Thereupon Śikhaṇḍī, brandishing the sword that had been broken by those arrows, swiftly hurled it like a blazing serpent.

6.78.34 As it flew at him suddenly, bright as the fire of doom, the son of Droṇa cut it in the air, displaying his deftness of hand, and pierced Śikhaṇḍī with many shafts of iron.

6.78.35 Then Śikhaṇḍī, O king, sorely smitten by those keen shafts, swiftly mounted the chariot of the high-souled Mādhava.

6.78.36 Then Sātyaki, in wrath, that mighty one, pierced with dreadful arrows in the fray the cruel and powerful Rākṣasa Alambusa.

6.78.37 Then that lord of the Rākṣasas, O Bhārata, severed his bow with a crescent-headed shaft, pierced him with arrows in the battle, and, weaving a Rākṣasa illusion, overwhelmed him with showers of darts.

6.78.38 Therein we beheld a marvel of valor in the grandson of Śini: even while struck down by keen shafts in the battle, he was not dismayed.

6.78.39 Then the scion of the Vṛṣṇis fitted to his bow the Aindra weapon, O Bhārata, which the illustrious Mādhava had obtained from Vijaya.

6.78.40 That weapon reduced the Rākṣasa illusion to ashes; and then he covered Alambusa on every side with dreadful shafts, as a rain-cloud in the wet season drenches a mountain with its streams of water.

6.78.41 Thus afflicted by the high-souled Mādhava, the demon fled in terror, abandoning Sātyaki in the fight.

6.78.42 Having vanquished that lord of the Rākṣasas, whom even Maghavat could not conquer in battle, the grandson of Śini roared aloud, while your warriors looked on.

6.78.43 And Sātyaki, of true prowess, slew your men with many keen arrows; afflicted with terror, they fled.

6.78.44 At that very moment, O great king, the mighty son of Drupada, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, covered your son, that lord of men, with straight-jointed arrows in the battle.

6.78.45 Though shrouded by the shafts of Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O Bhārata, your son, that lord of men, O king of kings, was not shaken.

6.78.46 Swiftly he pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna in battle with sixty and then with thirty arrows; and that seemed a marvel.

6.78.47 Then his commander, that mighty car-warrior, in wrath severed his bow, O sire, and swiftly slew his four horses, and quickly pierced him with seven keen-edged shafts.

6.78.48 The mighty-armed one, his horses slain, leapt down from his chariot, and on foot, raising his sword, rushed at the son of Pṛṣata.

6.78.49 Then Śakuni, of great might, eager for the king's safety, came up and lifted that lord of all the world onto his own car.

6.78.50 Then the son of Pṛṣata, slayer of hostile heroes, having defeated the king, fell upon your host as the wielder of the thunderbolt fell upon the Asuras.

6.78.51 In the battle Kṛtavarman assailed the great car-warrior Bhīma with arrows, and shrouded him as a vast cloud shrouds the sun.

6.78.52 Then, smiling in the fray, Bhīmasena, scorcher of foes, in great wrath loosed his arrows at Kṛtavarman.

6.78.53 Though tormented by them, that surpassing car-warrior of the Sātvatas, skilled in arms, did not falter, O great king, but struck Bhīma in turn with keen shafts.

6.78.54 Then Bhīmasena of great might slew his four horses, brought down his charioteer, and felled his richly adorned banner.

6.78.55 And that slayer of hostile heroes covered him with arrows of many kinds, so that, his whole body bristling, he looked like a porcupine.

6.78.56 Then, leaving his car whose steeds were slain, he swiftly went over to the chariot of Vṛṣaka, your brother-in-law, O great king, while your son looked on.

6.78.57 And Bhīmasena too, exceedingly wrathful, charged upon your host, and in his fury smote it down like Death himself, staff in hand.

6.79.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Many and various single combats between the Pāṇḍavas and my own men have I heard of from you, Saṃjaya, as you tell your tale.

6.79.2 Yet you tell me of not one of my own as elated, O Saṃjaya; ever you describe the sons of Pāṇḍu as joyous and unbroken.

6.79.3 My own you describe as worsted, dispirited, and bereft of vigor in the battle, O sūta; this is surely the work of fate, beyond doubt.

6.79.4 Saṃjaya said: According to their strength and according to their zeal your men strive in the fight, showing their manhood to the utmost of their power, O bull among men.

6.79.5 As the sweet water of Gaṅgā, the river of the gods, by long contact with the nature of the great ocean comes to take on saltiness,

6.79.6 even so, O king, does the prowess of your high-souled warriors, on meeting the heroic sons of Pāṇḍu, come to nothing in the battle.

6.79.7 They labor to the limit of their power and perform deeds hard to achieve; you should not, O best of the Kurus, lay blame upon the Kauravas.

6.79.8 It is through your fault, and your son's, O lord of peoples, that this dread and mighty destruction of the earth, that swells the realm of Yama, has come to pass.

6.79.9 It has sprung from your own fault, and you ought not to grieve, O king; for kings can guard neither all their interests nor even their lives.

6.79.10 Desiring the worlds reserved for the doers of good deeds, the lords of earth plunge into the host and fight, ever intent upon heaven.

6.79.11 In the forenoon, O great king, the slaughter of men began; with single mind hear of it from me, for it was like the war of gods and demons.

6.79.12 The two princes of Avanti, mighty bowmen, high-souled and of great strength, fierce in war, beholding Irāvat, advanced upon him; and there began among them a tumultuous battle that made the hair stand on end.

6.79.13 Irāvat, sorely enraged, swiftly pierced the two godlike brothers with keen, straight-jointed shafts; and those two, fighters of varied skill, pierced him in turn in the fray.

6.79.14 As they fought thus, O king, no difference could be seen between them, as they strove for the destruction of the foe, each seeking to repay stroke for stroke.

6.79.15 Then Irāvat, O king, with four arrows sent the four steeds of Anuvinda to the abode of Yama.

6.79.16 And with two exceedingly sharp broad-headed shafts he severed his bow and his banner in the battle, O sire; and that, O king, seemed a marvel.

6.79.17 Then Anuvinda, abandoning his own car, mounted the chariot of Vinda, and took up a new bow, excellent and able to bear a heavy strain.

6.79.18 Then the two heroes of Avanti, foremost of car-warriors, standing together upon one car, swiftly loosed their arrows at the high-souled Irāvat.

6.79.19 The arrows loosed by them, gold-adorned and of great speed, reaching the path of the sun, covered over the sky.

6.79.20 Then Irāvat in wrath rained a shower of arrows upon those two great car-warriors, the brothers, and struck down their charioteer as well.

6.79.21 And when the charioteer had fallen lifeless to the ground, the chariot, its horses now maddened and bolting, rushed off in every direction.

6.79.22 Having vanquished those two, O great king, the son of the daughter of the serpent-king, proclaiming his manhood, swiftly scattered your host.

6.79.23 That great host of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, smitten in the battle, reeled in many ways, like a man who has drunk poison.

6.79.24 Then the Rākṣasa lord, son of Hiḍimbā, of great might, rushed upon Bhagadatta in his sun-colored car with its banner.

6.79.25 Then the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, mounted upon his lordly elephant, came on as did the wielder of the thunderbolt of old in the war over Tārakā.

6.79.26 There the gods with the Gandharvas and the seers, gathered together, could find no difference between the son of Hiḍimbā and Bhagadatta.

6.79.27 As Śakra, lord of the gods, struck terror into the Dānavas, even so in the battle, O king, did he strike terror into the Pāṇḍavas.

6.79.28 Routed by him on every side, those Pāṇḍava warriors, O Bhārata, could find no protector among their own ranks.

6.79.29 There we saw only the son of Bhīmasena standing upon his car, O Bhārata; the rest of the great car-warriors, despairing, fled away.

6.79.30 But when the troops of the Pāṇḍavas had rallied once more, O Bhārata, a terrible din arose among your troops in the battle.

6.79.31 Then Ghaṭotkaca, O king, in that great fight covered Bhagadatta with arrows, as a rain-cloud covers Mount Meru.

6.79.32 Striking down those shafts of the Rākṣasa loosed from the bow, the king swiftly smote the son of Bhīmasena in all his vital parts.

6.79.33 Though smitten by many straight-jointed shafts, that lord of the Rākṣasas was not shaken, like a mountain being cleft.

6.79.34 At him the king of Prāgjyotiṣa in wrath hurled fourteen lances in the battle; and the Rākṣasa cut them all asunder.

6.79.35 Having cut down those lances with his keen shafts, the mighty-armed one pierced Bhagadatta with seventy heron-feathered arrows.

6.79.36 Then the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, as if smiling, O Bhārata, struck down his four horses in the battle with his arrows.

6.79.37 Standing upon his car whose steeds were slain, that valiant lord of the Rākṣasas hurled a dart with force at the elephant of the Prāgjyotiṣa king.

6.79.38 As it flew suddenly at him, that gold-shafted dart of great speed, the king cut it in three, and it fell scattered upon the earth.

6.79.39 Seeing his dart struck down, the son of Hiḍimbā fled in fear, as Namuci, best of the Daityas, fled of old from the battle with Indra.

6.79.40 Having vanquished in battle that hero, valiant and of famed manhood, unconquerable in war, O king, even by Yama and by Varuṇa,

6.79.41 with his elephant he trampled down the Pāṇḍava host in the battle, as a wild elephant, O king, ranges crushing a bed of lotuses.

6.79.42 Then the lord of the Madras, joining battle with the twins, covered with floods of arrows those two sons of Pāṇḍu, his sister's sons.

6.79.43 But Sahadeva in the battle, beholding his maternal uncle come to grips with him, warded him off with a flood of arrows, as a cloud screens the sun.

6.79.44 Covered by that flood of arrows, he grew all the more joyful in his bearing; and between those two there arose, for their mother's sake, a love beyond compare.

6.79.45 Then, smiling in the fray, that great car-warrior, O king, sent the four horses of Nakula with four excellent arrows to the abode of Yama.

6.79.46 Then that great car-warrior, swiftly leaping down from his car whose steeds were slain, mounted the vehicle of his own illustrious brother.

6.79.47 Then the two heroes, standing together upon one car, drawing their stout bows in wrath, in a moment covered over the chariot of the king of the Madras.

6.79.48 Though covered by many straight-jointed shafts from his sister's sons, that tiger among men did not waver, like a mountain; and, as if smiling, he beat back that very shower of arrows.

6.79.49 Then Sahadeva, the valiant, in wrath, raising a shaft and fixing his gaze on the king of the Madras, sped it forth, O Bhārata.

6.79.50 That arrow, sped by him, swift as Garutmat, pierced through the king of the Madras and fell upon the surface of the earth.

6.79.51 Pierced deep and shaken, that great warrior sank down upon the floor of his chariot, O great king, and fell into a swoon.

6.79.52 Seeing him fallen senseless in the fight, hard pressed by the twin sons of Mādrī, his charioteer bore him away from the battle in the chariot.

6.79.53 When they saw the chariot of the lord of the Madras turned away in flight, all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra grew downcast and thought, 'All is lost.'

6.79.54 Having vanquished their maternal uncle in battle, the two mighty sons of Mādrī, exultant, blew their conches and let forth a lion's roar.

6.79.55 Rejoicing, the two rushed upon your army, O lord of peoples, as the immortal gods Indra and Upendra would charge against the host of the Daityas.

6.80.1 Saṃjaya said: Then king Yudhiṣṭhira, when the sun had reached its zenith, fixed his gaze upon Śrutāyus and urged on his horses.

6.80.2 Then the king charged at Śrutāyus, that tamer of foes, striking him with nine sharp, smooth-jointed arrows.

6.80.3 That king, a great archer, having warded off in battle the shafts sent by the son of Dharma, dispatched seven arrows at the son of Kuntī in return.

6.80.4 Piercing his armor in the fray, they drank his blood, as if searching out the very life-breaths within the body of that great-souled one.

6.80.5 But the son of Pāṇḍu, sorely wounded by that great-souled king, struck the king in the heart in battle with a boar-eared arrow.

6.80.6 Then with another broad-headed shaft Pārtha, foremost of chariot-warriors, swiftly cast down to the earth the banner of that great-souled one from his chariot.

6.80.7 Seeing his banner fallen, that king Śrutāyus, O monarch, pierced the son of Pāṇḍu with seven sharp, barbless arrows.

6.80.8 Then Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, blazed up with wrath, like the fire that would consume all beings at the end of an age.

6.80.9 Beholding the son of Pāṇḍu enraged, the gods, gandharvas, and rākṣasas trembled, O great king, and the whole world grew distraught.

6.80.10 And this thought arose in the minds of all beings: 'This king, in his fury, will surely burn up the three worlds this day.'

6.80.11 The seers and the gods then performed a great rite of blessing, O king, to bring peace to the worlds when the son of Pāṇḍu was thus enraged.

6.80.12 And he, possessed by wrath, licking the corners of his mouth, bore a terrible form like the sun at the ending of an age.

6.80.13 Then all your troops, O lord of peoples, lost there all hope of life, O descendant of Bharata.

6.80.14 But that king of great renown, restraining his anger by his firmness, cut asunder the great bow of Śrutāyus at the grip.

6.80.15 Then, his bow severed, the king pierced him between the breasts with an iron shaft in battle, while all the army looked on.

6.80.16 Swiftly, O king, that mighty one slew with his arrows the horses of that great-souled foe, and quickly his charioteer as well.

6.80.17 Abandoning his chariot whose steeds were slain, and seeing the prowess of the king, Śrutāyus then fled swiftly from the battle.

6.80.18 When that great archer was vanquished in battle by the son of Dharma, the whole army of Duryodhana, O king, turned its back in flight.

6.80.19 Having done this, O great king, Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Dharma, his mouth gaping like Death itself, smote your army.

6.80.20 Cekitāna of the Vṛṣṇi line covered Gautama, foremost of chariot-warriors, with his arrows, while all the armies looked on.

6.80.21 But Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, having warded off those arrows in the fight, pierced with his feathered shafts the watchful Cekitāna in battle, O king.

6.80.22 Then with another broad-headed arrow, O sire, the swift-handed one cut his bow and struck down his charioteer in battle, and he slew his horses, O king, and both his flank-drivers as well.

6.80.23 Leaping swiftly down from his chariot, the Sātvata seized his mace; and with that hero-slaying mace, foremost of mace-wielders, he killed the horses of Gautama and struck down his charioteer.

6.80.24 Gautama, standing upon the ground, hurled at him sixteen arrows; those shafts, piercing through the Sātvata, sank into the surface of the earth.

6.80.25 Then Cekitāna, enraged, hurled that mace once more, longing to slay Gautama, as Indra the sacker of cities longed to slay Vṛtra.

6.80.26 That great mace, bright and stone-cored, as it came flying down, Gautama warded off with many thousands of arrows.

6.80.27 Then Cekitāna, drawing his sword from its sheath, O descendant of Bharata, and assuming the utmost nimbleness, rushed upon Gautama.

6.80.28 Gautama too, casting aside his bow and seizing a well-whetted sword, charged with great speed upon Cekitāna, O king.

6.80.29 Both of them, endowed with strength and bearing excellent swords, hewed at each other with their keen-edged blades.

6.80.30 Then those two bulls among men, struck by the force of each other's swords, sank to the earth that bears all creatures, their limbs overcome by a swoon and dazed by exertion.

6.80.31 Then Karakarṣa, a friend, ran swiftly forward; seeing Cekitāna, that warrior fierce in battle, in such a plight, he lifted him onto his chariot while all the army looked on.

6.80.32 In the same way the valiant Śakuni, your brother-in-law, O lord of peoples, swiftly lifted Gautama, foremost of chariot-warriors, onto his chariot.

6.80.33 And the mighty Dhṛṣṭaketu, enraged, swiftly pierced the son of Somadatta in the breast with ninety arrows, O king.

6.80.34 The son of Somadatta, with those arrows lodged thickly in his chest, shone forth, O great king, like the sun at midday with its rays.

6.80.35 But Bhūriśravas in battle, with his excellent arrows, deprived the great chariot-warrior Dhṛṣṭaketu of his chariot, slaying his driver and his horses.

6.80.36 And seeing him bereft of his chariot, his horses and charioteer slain, he covered him with a mighty shower of arrows in the battle.

6.80.37 And the high-minded Dhṛṣṭaketu, abandoning that chariot, then mounted the car of Śatānīka, O sire.

6.80.38 Citrasena and Vikarṇa, O king, and Durmarṣaṇa likewise, chariot-warriors clad in golden mail, rushed upon the son of Subhadrā.

6.80.39 Then a terrible battle ensued between Abhimanyu and those three, O king, as of the body assailed by the three humors, wind, bile, and phlegm.

6.80.40 Though he stripped your sons of their chariots in that great fight, O king, that tiger among men did not slay them, remembering then the words of Bhīma.

6.80.41 Then, surrounded by many hundreds of kings mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, Bhīṣma, hard for even the gods to approach in battle,

6.80.42 Seeing him advancing swiftly to rescue your sons, and marking Abhimanyu, that lone youthful great chariot-warrior, the son of Kuntī of the white steeds spoke thus to Vāsudeva:

6.80.43 'Urge on the horses, Hṛṣīkeśa, to where these chariots throng; for these many heroes, skilled in arms and frenzied for battle, must not destroy our army; drive there, O Mādhava.'

6.80.44 Thus addressed by the son of Kuntī of measureless might, that scion of the Vṛṣṇis sent the chariot yoked with white horses into the battle.

6.80.45 A great uproar arose among your troops, O sire, when Arjuna, enraged in battle, advanced against your men.

6.80.46 Coming upon those kings who guarded Bhīṣma, the son of Kuntī then spoke this word to Suśarman, O king:

6.80.47 'I know you to be a foremost warrior and my bitter enemy of old; behold now the dreadful fruit of your turn that has come due. This day I shall show you your forefathers long departed.'

6.80.48 Though he heard the harsh speech of Bībhatsu, the slayer of foes, as he spoke thus, Suśarman, that leader of chariot-bands, answered him nothing at all, neither fair nor foul.

6.80.49 Surrounded by many kings, he advanced upon the hero Arjuna from the front, from the rear, from the flanks, from every side.

6.80.50 Encircling Arjuna in battle together with your sons, O sinless one, he covered him with arrows as the clouds cover the sun.

6.80.51 Then there began a most mighty battle, with blood for its waters, between your men and the Pāṇḍavas in the fray, O descendant of Bharata.

6.81.1 Saṃjaya said: But Dhanaṃjaya, being smitten by their arrows, hissing like a strong serpent struck by a foot, with arrow after arrow forcibly cut asunder in battle the bows of those great chariot-warriors.

6.81.2 Having shattered in an instant the bows of those valiant kings in battle, the great-souled one pierced them all at once with his arrows, resolving then to leave none of them remaining.

6.81.3 Smeared with blood, they fell in the fight, struck down by the son of Indra, O king, their limbs riven, their heads fallen, their lives departed, their armored bodies cut through.

6.81.4 Overpowered by Pārtha's might, they fell to the earth and, of varied form, perished all together; seeing those princes slain in battle, the king of the Trigartas rushed forward in an instant.

6.81.5 Then the thirty-two others who guarded the rear of those chariots fell upon Pārtha; surrounding Pārtha and drawing their loud-twanging bows, they rained upon him a great flood of arrows, as the rain-clouds drench a mountain with their torrents of water.

6.81.6 Hard pressed by that downpour of arrow-floods, Dhanaṃjaya, his wrath kindled in the fight, with sixty oil-washed arrows in the combat slew those rear-guards as well.

6.81.7 Having vanquished those sixty chariots in battle, the glorious Dhanaṃjaya, glad at heart, the ever-victorious one, then hastened to slay Bhīṣma, having struck down the forces of the kings in the fray.

6.81.8 The king of the Trigartas, seeing those great chariot-warriors of his kinsmen slain, set those lords of men before him in battle and rushed swiftly to slay Pārtha.

6.81.9 Seeing Dhanaṃjaya, foremost of wielders of weapons, thus assailed, the warriors led by Śikhaṇḍin advanced, keen weapons in hand, eager to guard the chariot of Arjuna.

6.81.10 And Pārtha, the great bowman, seeing those heroes among men charging together with the king of the Trigartas, scattered them in battle with sharp shafts loosed from the Gāṇḍīva; and as he sought to reach Bhīṣma in the fight, he beheld Duryodhana and the king of the Sindhus and other kings.

6.81.11 Advancing against those who sought to bar his way, the hero of boundless valor fought them awhile with his strength; then, leaving aside the king and Jayadratha and the other lords, that mighty-armed, high-spirited one, of fearsome strength, went on, bow and arrows in hand, toward the son of Gaṅgā in the fray.

6.81.12 And Yudhiṣṭhira of terrible might, the great-souled one of endless fame, his anger kindled, came swiftly forward; leaving aside in battle the lord of the Madras, his own appointed share, he went together with the sons of Mādrī and Bhīmasena against Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, for combat.

6.81.13 Engaged by those foremost of great chariot-warriors in battle, the son of Gaṅgā, that wondrous fighter, the great-souled son of Śaṃtanu, was not shaken by all the assembled sons of Pāṇḍu come upon him.

6.81.14 Then king Jayadratha, true to his word, of most fierce might and high spirit, coming up in the fight, with his excellent bow forcibly cut asunder the bows of those great chariot-warriors.

6.81.15 Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīmasena, the twins, and Pārtha likewise, the great-souled Duryodhana, his wrath roused in the fight and his fury like venom, struck with arrows bright as fire.

6.81.16 By Kṛpa, by Śalya, and by Śala, and likewise, O lord, by Citrasena in the battle, they were pierced with arrows by those whose wrath was greatly swollen, as the gods are by the assembled hosts of the Daityas.

6.81.17 Seeing Śikhaṇḍin, his weapon cut away by the son of Śaṃtanu, the king Ajātaśatru, the great-souled one, his anger kindled in battle, spoke wrathfully these words to Śikhaṇḍin:

6.81.18 'Having spoken thus before your father to me, that you would slay that Bhīṣma of the great vow with floods of arrows bright as the spotless sun, you made the vow, saying, "I speak the truth."

6.81.19 'Yet you do not make that vow bear fruit, in that you do not slay Devavrata in the fight; do not become false to your pledge, O hero among men; guard your duty, your lineage, and your fame.'

6.81.20 'Behold Bhīṣma in the fight, of terrible swiftness, scorching all the hosts of my army with nets of arrow-floods of exceeding fierce splendor, like Death wrought by Time in an instant.'

6.81.21 'Your bow cut away, heedless of the battle, vanquished by the son of Śaṃtanu, the kingly one, abandoning your kinsmen and your brothers, whither will you go? This is not worthy of you.'

6.81.22 'For seeing that Bhīṣma of boundless valor, and our army broken and fleeing thus, you are surely afraid, O son of Drupada; for the color of your face is downcast.'

6.81.23 'Even while Dhanaṃjaya joins this great battle, O hero among men, how is it, O renowned upon the earth, that you this day show fear of Bhīṣma, O hero?'

6.81.24 Hearing the harsh-syllabled speech of the King of Righteousness, bound up with rebuke, that great-souled one, taking it as a command of censure, hastened to the slaying of Bhīṣma, O king.

6.81.25 As Śikhaṇḍin rushed with great speed against Bhīṣma, charging upon him, Śalya checked him with a terrible and well-nigh invincible weapon.

6.81.26 And though he saw that weapon hurled at him, blazing with a power like the fire at the end of an age, the son of Drupada was not bewildered, O king, for his splendor was the equal of great Indra's.

6.81.27 That mighty bowman stood his ground there, beating back the weapon with his arrows; then Śikhaṇḍin took up another fierce weapon, the Varuṇa, to counter it. The gods stationed in the sky and the kings below beheld that weapon shattered by his weapon.

6.81.28 But great-souled Bhīṣma, that hero, having in the battle cut off the splendidly wrought bow and the banner of Pāṇḍu's son, King Yudhiṣṭhira of Ajamīḍha's line, raised a war cry, O king.

6.81.29 Then, casting aside his bow with its arrows and seeing Yudhiṣṭhira overcome with fear, Bhīmasena seized his mace and on foot fell upon Jayadratha in the fray.

6.81.30 As Bhīmasena rushed upon him at great speed, mace in hand, Jayadratha pierced him on every side with five hundred dreadful, whetted arrows that were like the rod of Yama.

6.81.31 Heeding not those arrows, the impetuous Vṛkodara, his mind seized by wrath, slew in the battle all the Āraṭṭa-born steeds of the king of the Sindhus.

6.81.32 Then your son of matchless power, beholding this, came hurrying on his chariot to slay Bhīmasena, his weapon upraised, like the king of the gods himself.

6.81.33 And Bhīma too, roaring aloud all at once, advanced against him, brandishing his mace in menace; and seeing that mace upraised like the rod of Yama, your Kurus on every side...

6.81.34 ...all of them abandoned your fierce son, wishing to avoid the descent of that mace, and fell back amid the tumultuous, most dreadful and bewildering crush of battle, O Bhārata.

6.81.35 But Citrasena, his mind undismayed, watching the great mace come hurtling on, abandoned his chariot and on foot in the battle, seizing his bright sword and shield, leapt down like a lion from a mountain peak and made his way to another spot upon the ground.

6.81.36 And that mace, reaching the splendid chariot, smashed it utterly in the fray together with its horses and driver, and fell blazing to the earth, like a great meteor falling from the fallen sky to the ground.

6.81.37 Seeing that exceedingly great marvel, your men, O Bhārata, were filled with delight, and all together raised a shout on every side, and with their troops honored your son.

6.82.1 Saṃjaya said: Coming up to that high-spirited Citrasena, now bereft of his chariot, your son Vikarṇa took him up onto his own car.

6.82.2 While that turmoil thus raged, exceedingly confused, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu swiftly rushed upon Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.82.3 Then the Sṛñjayas trembled, with their chariots, elephants, and horses, and they thought Yudhiṣṭhira had passed into the very jaws of death.

6.82.4 But Yudhiṣṭhira too, the Kaurava lord, joined by the twins, advanced against the great bowman, that tiger among men, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu.

6.82.5 Then the son of Pāṇḍu, loosing thousands of arrows in the battle, covered Bhīṣma over as a cloud covers the sun.

6.82.6 Those nets of arrows, well aimed by him, O Bhārata, the son of Gaṅgā received by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.82.7 And likewise the nets of arrows shot by Bhīṣma, O sire, appeared in the sky like flights of moving birds.

6.82.8 And in half the blink of an eye Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu made the son of Kuntī invisible in the battle, piece by piece, with his net of arrows.

6.82.9 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira in his wrath sent against the great-souled Kaurava an iron shaft like a venomous serpent.

6.82.10 But before it could reach him, that mighty car-warrior Bhīṣma, O king, cut that shaft, sped from his bow, with a razor-edged arrow in the battle.

6.82.11 And having cut that iron shaft, fit to measure with death itself, Bhīṣma in the battle slew the gold-caparisoned horses of the Kaurava lord.

6.82.12 Then, abandoning the chariot whose horses were slain, Yudhiṣṭhira the son of Dharma swiftly mounted the chariot of great-souled Nakula.

6.82.13 Then, much enraged, Bhīṣma the conqueror of hostile cities closed in upon the twins as well in the battle and covered them over with his arrows.

6.82.14 Seeing those two, O great king, sorely afflicted by Bhīṣma's arrows, Yudhiṣṭhira fell into the deepest anxiety, longing for Bhīṣma's death.

6.82.15 Then Yudhiṣṭhira urged on those obedient kings, his band of allies: "Let all of you together slay Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu!"

6.82.16 Then all those kings, hearing the word of Pārtha, surrounded the grandsire with a great host of chariots.

6.82.17 Surrounded on every side, your father Devavrata sported with his bow, O king, bringing down mighty car-warriors.

6.82.18 The sons of Pṛthā watched that Kaurava ranging through the battle as one might watch a lion's cub in the forest entering amid a herd of deer.

6.82.19 Seeing him menace the brave in battle and terrify them with his arrows, they trembled, O great king, as herds of deer tremble before a lion.

6.82.20 The warriors beheld the course of that lion of the Bhāratas in the battle, like the course of fire aided by the wind, eager to burn the dry brushwood.

6.82.21 Bhīṣma struck down the heads of the chariot-warriors in the battle, as a skilled man brings down ripe fruits from the palm trees.

6.82.22 And with the heads falling to the surface of the earth, O great king, there arose a tumultuous din, like that of falling stones.

6.82.23 As that tumultuous and most dreadful battle raged on, there came a great confounding together of all the armies.

6.82.24 When those battle-arrays were broken, the warriors, calling out one to another, man against man, took their stand for combat.

6.82.25 But Śikhaṇḍin, coming up to the grandsire of the Bhāratas, rushed at him with speed and cried, "Stand, stand!"

6.82.26 But Bhīṣma, disregarding that Śikhaṇḍin in the battle, mindful of Śikhaṇḍin's womanhood, advanced in wrath against the Sṛñjayas.

6.82.27 Then the Sṛñjayas, glad at seeing the mighty car-warrior Bhīṣma, raised lion-roars of many kinds, mingled with the blare of conches.

6.82.28 Then the battle raged on, chariots and elephants entangled together, as the sun, O lord, took its place declining toward the western quarter.

6.82.29 Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna of the Pāñcālas and the mighty car-warrior Sātyaki, sorely pressing your army with showers of spears and lances and with many weapons, O king, slew your men in the battle.

6.82.30 Though slaughtered in the battle, O bull among men, your men, setting their minds on the noble course of war, did not forsake the field; and those mighty car-warriors slew the host in the battle to the full of their valor.

6.82.31 There arose a great cry from your high-souled men, O king, as they were slain in the battle by the great-souled son of Pṛṣata.

6.82.32 Hearing that dreadful clamor of your men, the two mighty car-warriors Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti turned to face the son of Pṛṣata.

6.82.33 Those two mighty car-warriors, slaying his horses in haste, both covered the son of Pṛṣata over with a downpour of arrows.

6.82.34 Then the mighty Pāñcāla, leaping swiftly down from his chariot, quickly mounted the chariot of the most great-souled Sātyaki.

6.82.35 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, surrounded by a great army, advanced in wrath against the two scorchers of foes, the princes of Avanti, in the battle.

6.82.36 Likewise your son too, O sire, with every effort, surrounding Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, took his stand to support them.

6.82.37 And Arjuna too, much enraged, O bull among warriors, fought the warriors in the battle as the wielder of the thunderbolt fights the Asuras.

6.82.38 And Droṇa, enraged in the battle and doing what was dear to your son, scattered all the Pāñcālas as fire scatters a heap of cotton.

6.82.39 And your sons, with Duryodhana at their head, O lord of the people, surrounding Bhīṣma in the battle, fought against the Pāṇḍavas.

6.82.40 Then King Duryodhana, as the sun was turning red, said to all your men, "Make haste!" O Bhārata.

6.82.41 While they thus fought and wrought deeds hard to do, the sun mounted the western mountain and shone no more.

6.82.42 In a moment, at the onset of night, there flowed a dreadful river surging with streams of blood, thronged with packs of jackals.

6.82.43 With she-jackals, inauspicious, howling out their fearful cries, the battlefield became dreadful, crowded with hosts of spirits.

6.82.44 And Rākṣasas and Piśācas and other eaters of flesh were seen on every side, by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.82.45 Then Arjuna, having vanquished Suśarman and the other kings together with their followers in the midst of the host, returned toward his own camp.

6.82.46 And Yudhiṣṭhira too, the Kaurava king, then went with his brothers to his own camp by night, surrounded by his army.

6.82.47 And Bhīmasena too, O lord of kings, having conquered in the battle the car-warriors led by Duryodhana, then went toward his own camp.

6.82.48 And King Duryodhana too, having in the great battle surrounded Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, swiftly set out toward the camp.

6.82.49 Droṇa, the son of Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas, surrounding the whole host, went toward the camp.

6.82.50 Likewise Sātyaki, O king, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata, surrounding their warriors in the battle, went toward the camp.

6.82.51 Thus, O great king, your men, those scorchers of foes, together with the Pāṇḍavas, withdrew at the hour of night.

6.82.52 Then, having gone to their own camps, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus alike settled down, O great king, honoring one another.

6.82.53 Having made provision for their own safety and posted their pickets in due order, and having drawn out their barbed shafts and bathed in waters of many kinds, those heroes...

6.82.54 ...all having had the rites of blessing performed and being praised by the bards, those illustrious ones diverted themselves with the sound of song and instruments.

6.82.55 For a while all that was like a glimpse of heaven; for the mighty car-warriors held no talk of battle there at all.

6.82.56 And there, O king, while the armies slept and the men were spent with weariness, those two camps, abounding in elephants and horses, became a sight worth beholding.

6.83.1 Saṃjaya said: When that night had passed and the lords of men had slept in comfort, the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas went forth once more to battle.

6.83.2 Then there was a great din from both the armies as they marched out to battle, vast as the ocean.

6.83.3 Then King Duryodhana, Citrasena, Viviṃśati, and Bhīṣma the foremost of car-warriors, and the brahmin son of Bhāradvāja...

6.83.4 ...united and well prepared, arrayed the great host of the Kauravas in battle-order and, mailed for war, set it against the Pāṇḍavas, O king.

6.83.5 Bhīṣma, your father, O lord of the people, formed a great battle-array, dreadful and like the ocean, with its mounts surging like waves.

6.83.6 At the head of all the troops marched Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, attended by the Mālavas, the Southerners, and the men of Avanti.

6.83.7 Next after him came the valiant son of Bhāradvāja, with the Pulindas, the Pāradas, and the Kṣudrakas and Mālavas.

6.83.8 Next after Droṇa, ready for battle, came the valiant Bhagadatta, with the Māgadhas, the Kaliṅgas, and the Piśācas, O lord of the people.

6.83.9 After the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa came King Bṛhadbala of Kosala, attended by the Mekalas, the Traipuras, and the Cicchilas.

6.83.10 After Bṛhadbala came the brave Trigarta, lord of Prasthala, together with many Kāmbojas and Yavanas by the thousands.

6.83.11 And the impetuous and brave son of Droṇa, after the Trigarta, O Bhārata, marched forth, making the face of the earth resound with his lion-roar.

6.83.12 Then King Duryodhana, with his whole host, advanced just behind the son of Droṇa, ringed about by his own brothers.

6.83.13 After Duryodhana came Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat; and thus this great battle-array set forth, vast as the ocean.

6.83.14 There, O lord, shone the banners and the white parasols, the bright armlets, and the precious, beautifully wrought bows.

6.83.15 Beholding that great array of your men, the mighty chariot-warrior Yudhiṣṭhira spoke at once to the son of Pṛṣata, the commander of his host:

6.83.16 "Behold, O great archer, the array they have fashioned, vast as the sea. Do you too, O son of Pṛṣata, form a counter-array without delay."

6.83.17 Then the brave son of Pṛṣata, O great king, formed a most fearsome array, the Śṛṅgāṭaka, which could shatter the enemy's formation.

6.83.18 At its horns stood Bhīmasena and the great chariot-warrior Sātyaki, with chariots in their many thousands and with horse and foot.

6.83.19 At its center stood that best of men, white-horsed, ape-bannered Arjuna; and in the midst were King Yudhiṣṭhira and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī.

6.83.20 And the other great archers, the lords of men with their forces, skilled in the science of battle-arrays, filled out that formation.

6.83.21 Behind them came Abhimanyu, and the great chariot-warrior Virāṭa, and the exultant sons of Draupadī, and the Rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca.

6.83.22 Having drawn up this great array, O Bhārata, the valiant Pāṇḍavas stood ready for battle, eager to fight and longing for victory.

6.83.23 The tumultuous beat of drums, mingled with the blare of conch-shells and the roars, the slapping of arms, and the war-cries, grew terrible on every side.

6.83.24 Then the warriors, closing upon one another in the fray, O king, glared at each other with unblinking eyes, kindled with fury.

6.83.25 First in their minds, O lord of men, those warriors set themselves against one another for battle, challenging each man his fellow.

6.83.26 Then there broke out a battle dreadful to look upon and full of terror, as your men and the foe struck down one another.

6.83.27 Sharp iron shafts fell in the fray, O Bhārata, terror-bringing with their gaping mouths, like serpents in swarms.

6.83.28 Bright spears flew forth, oil-washed and keenly whetted, blazing like lightning-flashes leaping from the clouds, O king.

6.83.29 And maces wrapped in bright cloth and adorned with gold were seen falling there, fair as mountain-peaks; and the swords gleamed, resembling the clear sky.

6.83.30 And shields of bull's hide, marked with a hundred moons, O Bhārata, shone splendidly in the battle, O king, as they fell on every side.

6.83.31 The two armies, contending with one another in the fray, O lord of men, shone like the hosts of the Daityas and the gods arisen for war; and they rushed upon each other on every side in the battle.

6.83.32 Chariots, swiftly driven by their warriors in that fierce encounter, locked yoke against yoke; and those bulls among kings fought on.

6.83.33 From the clashing of the battling tuskers, O best of the Bhāratas, fire arose upon their tusks, with smoke, on every side.

6.83.34 Some of the elephant-warriors, struck through by lances on all sides, were seen falling like trees tumbling from a mountain-peak.

6.83.35 And foot-soldiers too were seen striking one another down, brave men of varied aspect, fighting with claw-blades and lances.

6.83.36 Closing upon one another, the soldiers of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas sent each other, with dreadful weapons of every kind, to the abode of Yama.

6.83.37 Then Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, making all resound with the rumble of his chariot, came upon the Pāṇḍavas in the fray, bewildering them with the twang of his bow.

6.83.38 And the chariots of the Pāṇḍavas too, roaring with a fearsome din, rushed forward girt for battle, with Dhṛṣṭadyumna at their head.

6.83.39 Then the battle broke out between your men and theirs, O Bhārata, with men, horses, chariots, and elephants entangled one with another.

6.84.1 Saṃjaya said: Bhīṣma, wrathful in the battle and scorching all around, the Pāṇḍavas could not bear to look upon, as upon the blazing sun.

6.84.2 Then, at the command of the son of Dharma, all the troops rushed upon the son of Gaṅgā, who was crushing them with his sharp arrows.

6.84.3 But that Bhīṣma, glorying in battle, struck down with his shafts the Somakas together with the Sṛñjayas and the great-archer Pāñcālas.

6.84.4 Cut down by Bhīṣma, the Pāñcālas together with the Somakas charged swiftly at Bhīṣma himself, casting aside the fear that death inspires.

6.84.5 Then the hero Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, severed in an instant, O king, the arms and heads of those chariot-warriors in the fight.

6.84.6 Your father Devavrata stripped the chariot-warriors of their cars; and the heads of the horsemen fell from their steeds.

6.84.7 And we saw elephants, emptied of their riders and lying like hills, O great king, stupefied by Bhīṣma's weapon.

6.84.8 There was not one man among the Pāṇḍavas there, O lord of peoples, save the foremost of chariot-warriors, the mighty Bhīmasena.

6.84.9 For he, closing with Bhīṣma, smote him in the fray; and then a dreadful crash arose at the meeting of Bhīṣma and Bhīma.

6.84.10 Terrible and fearsome it was to all the troops; and so the Pāṇḍavas, rejoicing, raised then a lion's roar.

6.84.11 Then King Duryodhana, ringed about by his brothers, guarded Bhīṣma in the battle while the slaughter of men went on.

6.84.12 But Bhīma, that best of chariot-warriors, having slain Bhīṣma's charioteer, while the horses of the car bolted and it careered on every side, that slayer of foes swiftly severed with a shaft the head of Sunābha.

6.84.13 By that keen razor-edged arrow he was slain and fell to the earth; and when that son of yours, the great chariot-warrior, was slain, O great king, his seven valiant brothers could not endure it in the fight.

6.84.14 Ādityaketu, Bahvāśin, Kuṇḍadhāra, Mahodara, Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka, Viśālākṣa, and Sudurjaya —

6.84.15 in gleaming harness, with their varied armor and standards, those crushers of foes, eager to fight, rushed upon the Pāṇḍava in the battle.

6.84.16 Mahodara pierced Bhīma in the fray with nine feathered shafts like thunderbolts, as the slayer of Vṛtra pierced Namuci.

6.84.17 Ādityaketu struck him with seventy, Bahvāśin with five, Kuṇḍadhāra with ninety, and Viśālākṣa with seven.

6.84.18 Aparājita, O great king, the ever-victorious great chariot-warrior, assailed the mighty Bhīmasena with many arrows.

6.84.19 And Paṇḍitaka in the fray struck at him with three arrows. But Bhīma could not endure this assault from his foes in the battle.

6.84.20 Gripping his bow with his left hand, that tormentor of foes severed in the fray, with a smooth-jointed arrow, the head

6.84.21 of your son Aparājita, with its handsome nose; and overcome by Bhīma in the fight, his head fell to the earth.

6.84.22 Then with another broad-headed shaft he dispatched the great chariot-warrior Kuṇḍadhāra to the world of the dead, before the eyes of all.

6.84.23 Then once more the warrior of measureless soul, fitting an arrow to the string, sent it in the battle against Paṇḍita, O Bhārata.

6.84.24 That shaft, having slain Paṇḍita, entered the surface of the earth, as a serpent, driven by fate, swiftly enters it after striking a man dead.

6.84.25 Cleaving off the head of Viśālākṣa with three arrows, the undaunted hero felled it to the ground, remembering an old grievance.

6.84.26 He pierced the great archer Mahodara through the breast with an iron shaft in the fray, O king; and slain, he fell to the earth.

6.84.27 And having shorn away the standard of Ādityaketu with a shaft in the fight, that slayer of foes severed his head with a most keen broad-headed arrow.

6.84.28 Then Bhīma, in great wrath, sent Bahvāśin with a smooth-jointed arrow to the abode of Yama.

6.84.29 Then the others, your remaining sons, fled away, O lord of peoples, deeming true that which he had spoken in the assembly-hall.

6.84.30 Then King Duryodhana, stricken by the calamity of his brothers, said to your warriors: "Let this Bhīma be slain in the battle!"

6.84.31 Thus those great-archer sons of yours, O lord of peoples, seeing their brothers slain, called to mind that vow of his.

6.84.32 What the deeply wise Vidura had spoken, salutary and unerring — that word of the seer with divine vision had now come to pass.

6.84.33 Possessed by greed and delusion, through love of your sons, O lord of men, you did not heed in time that great and truthful word.

6.84.34 Surely it is for the destruction of your sons that the mighty, strong-armed Pāṇḍava was born, even as he now slaughters the Kauravas.

6.84.35 Then King Duryodhana, O honored sir, approaching Bhīṣma, overcome by great grief and utterly worn, lamented thus:

6.84.36 "My valiant brothers have been slain by Bhīmasena in the battle, and the rest, though they strive their utmost, are being slain along with all my soldiers."

6.84.37 "And you, in your neutrality, ever disregard us. I have set my foot upon an evil road — behold this fate of mine!"

6.84.38 Hearing this cruel speech, your father Devavrata spoke this word to Duryodhana, whose eyes were filled with tears:

6.84.39 "This was told you before by me, and by Droṇa and by Vidura, and by the illustrious Gāndhārī — the truth, my child, which you did not understand."

6.84.40 "And an agreement was made by me with you before, O scourge of foes: that neither I nor the preceptor are ever to be relieved of duty in battle."

6.84.41 "For whichever of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra Bhīma shall set eyes upon in the fray, him will he slay in the battle — this I tell you truly."

6.84.42 "Therefore, O king, grow firm, and fixing your resolve steadfastly upon the fight, do battle with the Pārthas, making heaven your final goal."

6.84.43 "The Pāṇḍavas cannot be conquered, not even by the gods and demons with Indra at their head. Therefore, fixing your mind firmly upon the battle, fight on, O Bhārata."

6.85.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: When they saw my many sons slain by one man, O Saṃjaya, what did Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Kṛpa do in the battle?

6.85.2 Day after day my sons go to their destruction, O Saṃjaya. I think, O charioteer, that they are altogether and grievously smitten by fate.

6.85.3 Since all my sons are vanquished and do not conquer — and that too in the presence of Bhīṣma, of Droṇa, and of the great-souled Kṛpa,

6.85.4 and of the heroic son of Somadatta, and of both Bhagadatta and Aśvatthāman, my child — those most great-souled heroes —

6.85.5 and of the other heroes — that my sons, standing in their very midst, should be slain in the battle, what can this be but the working of destiny?

6.85.6 For the dull-witted Duryodhana would not understand what was foretold of old, though he was restrained by me, my child, and by Bhīṣma and Vidura,

6.85.7 and by Gāndhārī too — that witless one — ever out of desire for his good. He did not heed it of old, through delusion; and this is the fruit that has come to him.

6.85.8 For Bhīmasena, enraged, day after day in the battle leads my senseless sons to the abode of Yama.

6.85.9 Saṃjaya said: This is the coming-to-pass of that excellent word of Vidura, which you did not understand, O lord, when it was spoken for your good in that hour.

6.85.10 "Restrain your sons from the dice-game, and do not wrong the Pāṇḍavas"—so spoke your well-wishers, who sought your good, again and again.

6.85.11 That counsel, well spoken, which you would not heed—as a sick man will not take the medicine that would heal him—has now overtaken you, fulfilled.

6.85.12 Having failed to follow the wholesome words of Vidura, Droṇa, and Bhīṣma, and of the other well-wishers, the Kauravas now go to their ruin.

6.85.13 All this came to pass long ago, O lord of peoples; therefore hear from me, in its truth, how the battle unfolded.

6.85.14 At midday a most terrible combat arose, one that wrought the destruction of the world, O king; hear of it as I recount it.

6.85.15 Then all the armies, at the command of the son of Dharma, rushed forward in fury, eager to slay Bhīṣma himself.

6.85.16 Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍin and Sātyaki, that great chariot-warrior, with their ranks marshalled, O great king, advanced against Bhīṣma alone.

6.85.17 Arjuna and the sons of Draupadī and Cekitāna, in the battle, fell upon all the kings whom Duryodhana had appointed.

6.85.18 The hero Abhimanyu, and the son of Hiḍimbā, that great chariot-warrior, and Bhīmasena, full of wrath—these rushed against the Kauravas.

6.85.19 Divided into three, the Pāṇḍavas struck down the Kauravas in the fight; and likewise, O king, on the Kaurava side the foes were struck down in the battle.

6.85.20 But Droṇa, foremost of chariot-warriors, full of wrath, charged the Somakas together with the Sṛñjayas, meaning to send them to the realm of Yama.

6.85.21 There arose a great wailing among the high-souled Sṛñjayas, O king, as they were slain in the battle by the archer, the son of Bhāradvāja.

6.85.22 Many warriors, smitten there by Droṇa in the fight, were seen writhing upon the ground like men tormented by disease.

6.85.23 Of those moaning and wailing and groaning in the battle, an unceasing din was heard, like that of men wasted by hunger.

6.85.24 In the same way the mighty Bhīmasena wrought a terrible slaughter among the Kauravas, raging like a second Death.

6.85.25 As the armies slew one another in that great combat, a dreadful river began to flow, streaming with floods of blood.

6.85.26 That battle, O great king, of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas grew vast and dreadful in form, swelling the kingdom of Yama.

6.85.27 Then Bhīma, wrathful in the fight and especially fierce, fell upon the host of elephants and dispatched them to their death.

6.85.28 There, O descendant of Bharata, the elephants struck by Bhīma's iron shafts fell, and sank down, and trumpeted, and wandered through the quarters.

6.85.29 The great elephants, their trunks lopped off and their feet severed, O venerable one, cried out in terror like curlews and lay down upon the earth.

6.85.30 Nakula and Sahadeva charged the host of cavalry; and those horses, decked with golden frontlets and trappings of gold, were seen being slain by the hundreds and the thousands.

6.85.31 With the falling horses, O king, the earth was strewn over; and with steeds tongueless, panting, neighing, and lifeless—horses of every form, O best of men—the ground was made resplendent.

6.85.32 With the horses slain by Arjuna in the encounter, O descendant of Bharata, the earth shone dreadful here and there, O lord of peoples.

6.85.33 With chariots shattered, banners cut down, and parasols of dazzling splendour, with necklaces and golden chains and armlets, and with heads still bearing their earrings—

6.85.34 With turbans flung down, and pennons on every side, with shining axle-poles, O king, and with yoke-straps and reins now lifeless—the earth, so covered, shone as in springtime strewn with blossoms.

6.85.35 Thus too did this destruction befall the Pāṇḍavas, O descendant of Bharata, when the son of Śaṃtanu, Bhīṣma, was wrathful, and Droṇa, that best of chariot-warriors.

6.85.36 And when Aśvatthāman and Kṛpa, and likewise Kṛtavarman, and the others too were wrathful, destruction came upon your men as well.

6.86.1 Saṃjaya said: While that fierce slaughter of the best of heroes was going on, O king, the illustrious Śakuni, son of Subala, rushed upon the Pāṇḍavas.

6.86.2 And likewise the Sātvata, the son of Hṛdika, slayer of hostile heroes, O king, charged in battle against the host of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.86.3 Then with the foremost steeds of the Kāmbojas and those born of the rivers, the horses of the Āraṭṭas, those bred on the great land, and those of the Sindhu in every kind—

6.86.4 with the gleaming horses born in Vanāyu and those that dwell in the mountains, and others, the swift partridge-coloured ones, fleet as the wind—

6.86.5 with these chief horses, decked in gold, armoured and well caparisoned, swift as the wind, the mighty son of the Pāṇḍava, that scorcher of foes, his form glad with eagerness, advanced upon that army.

6.86.6 Now Arjuna's heir, the valiant one named Irāvān, was begotten by the wise son of Pṛthā upon the daughter of the king of the Nāgas.

6.86.7 She, childless, her husband slain by Suparṇa, piteous and forlorn of mind, had been given by the high-souled Airāvata.

6.86.8 And the son of Pṛthā took her to wife, for she yielded to her desire; thus was this son of Arjuna born in a field not his own.

6.86.9 He grew up in the world of the Nāgas, sheltered by his mother, but cast off by his evil-minded uncle out of hatred for the son of Pṛthā.

6.86.10 Handsome, endowed with valour, virtuous, and true in his prowess, he went swiftly to the world of Indra on hearing that Arjuna had gone there.

6.86.11 Approaching his high-souled father of true prowess, calm and with palms joined in reverence, he saluted him: "I am Irāvān; blessings on you—I am your son, O lord."

6.86.12 And he made known all that union with his mother had been; and the Pāṇḍava recalled the whole of it just as it had come to pass.

6.86.13 And embracing his son, who in qualities was the very likeness of himself, the son of Pṛthā was filled with joy in the abode of the king of the gods.

6.86.14 Then in the world of the gods, O king, the mighty-armed one was charged by Arjuna with affection concerning his own affairs, O descendant of Bharata: "In the time of battle you must lend us your aid, O lord."

6.86.15 "So be it," he said, and when the time of battle had come, he arrived, O king, surrounded by many horses of various hues and at-will swiftness.

6.86.16 Those horses, with golden frontlets, of many colours and swift as thought, sprang up of a sudden, O king, like wild-geese upon the great ocean.

6.86.17 Closing with your swift bands of horses, striking chest against chest and muzzle against muzzle upon one another, they fell suddenly to the ground, O king, smitten by the force of their charge.

6.86.18 And from those bands of horses falling thus upon one another, a fearsome sound was heard, as at the swooping of the great birds.

6.86.19 And likewise, O great king, the horsemen, meeting one another in the fray, wrought a dreadful mutual slaughter.

6.86.20 As that turmoil raged on, exceedingly furious and confused, the bands of horses on both sides were brought to ruin on every side.

6.86.21 The heroes, their arrows spent, their horses slain, worn out with toil, came to destruction, hewing one another down.

6.86.22 Then, when the cavalry was depleted and but little of it remained, O descendant of Bharata, the heroic sons of Subala came forth to the forefront of the fight.

6.86.23 Mounting the finest horses, whose touch was swift as the wind's rush and who in speed matched the wind, well-trained and in their prime—

6.86.24 Gaja, Gavākṣa, Vṛṣaka, Carmavān, Ārjava, and Śuka—these six, endowed with strength, sallied forth from the great host.

6.86.25 Though held back by Śakuni and by their own mighty warriors, these—armoured, skilled in war, terrible of aspect, and exceedingly strong—

6.86.26 breaking through that most unconquerable host, O mighty-armed one, joined with great force and seeking victory for the sake of heaven, those Gāndhāras, frenzied for battle, entered it then in their gladness.

6.86.27 Seeing them so entered, the valiant Irāvān then spoke in the battle to his warriors, who bore varied ornaments and weapons:

6.86.28 "Let such a course be ordained that these warriors of the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, with their followers and mounts, may all be slain in the battle."

6.86.29 "So be it," said all those warriors of Irāvān, and they smote that hostile host, hard for foes to conquer in battle.

6.86.30 Seeing that host struck down by the host in the battle, the sons of Subala, all unable to brook it, rushed upon Irāvān and surrounded him on every side in the fight.

6.86.31 Striking with sharp lances and urging one another on, those heroes ran about, working great confusion.

6.86.32 Then Irāvān, pierced by the sharp lances of those high-souled ones, was smeared with streaming blood, like an elephant goaded with the driver's hooks.

6.86.33 Sorely struck upon the breast and the back and both flanks—one against many—yet, O king, through his steadfastness he did not waver at all.

6.86.34 Then Irāvān, that conqueror of hostile cities, full of wrath, pierced them all with whetted arrows and bewildered them in the fight.

6.86.35 And that subduer of foes, plucking out all the lances from his own body, smote the sons of Subala in the battle with those very weapons.

6.86.36 Drawing his whetted sword and taking up his shield, on foot he came swiftly forward, eager to slay the sons of Subala in the fight.

6.86.37 Then all those sons of Subala, their spirits returned to them, once more filled with rage, rushed upon Irāvān.

6.86.38 And Irāvān too, with his sword displaying the deftness of his hand, advanced against all those sons of Subala, proud in his strength.

6.86.39 As he moved with such nimbleness, all those sons of Subala, ranging about swift-footed, could find no opening in him.

6.86.40 Then, seeing him standing upon the ground in the encounter, they all once more closed about him tightly and set about to seize him.

6.86.41 Then, of those who had drawn near, that tormentor of foes, with his sword, cut away their limbs with strokes both upward and downward.

6.86.42 And the weapons of them all, and their arms too, though decked with ornaments, fell; their bodies cut to pieces, they sank lifeless to the ground.

6.86.43 But Vṛṣaka, O great king, wounded in many places, escaped from that most terrible hewing-down of heroes.

6.86.44 Seeing them all fallen, Duryodhana then, alarmed and full of wrath, addressed a Rākṣasa of dreadful aspect—

6.86.45 the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, a great archer, a master of illusion and a subduer of foes, enemy to Bhīmasena ever since the slaying of Baka of old.

6.86.46 "Behold, O hero, how this mighty son of Phalguna, a master of illusion, has done me a dire and grievous harm, the destruction of my forces."

6.86.47 "And you, dear friend, move at will and are skilled in the weapons of illusion, and you bear enmity against the son of Pṛthā; therefore slay him in the battle."

6.86.48 "So be it," said the Rākṣasa of dreadful aspect, and with a lion's roar he set forth to where the young son of Arjuna was.

6.86.49 Attended by warriors well-mounted and skilled in war, who fought with gleaming lances, by valiant smiters, and surrounded by his own ranks, he came eager to slay the mighty Irāvān in the battle.

6.86.50 But Irāvān too, full of wrath, swift and valiant, that slayer of foes, held off the Rākṣasa who sought to kill him.

6.86.51 Beholding him rushing on, the Rākṣasa of exceeding might, in haste, then set about to employ his illusion.

6.86.52 By him were fashioned, all by illusion, horses just as many, mounted by dreadful Rākṣasas bearing pikes and spears in their hands.

6.86.53 Those two thousand smiters, meeting in fury, ere long sent one another to the world of the dead.

6.86.54 When that host had been slain, those two, both maddened with the lust of battle, stood facing each other in the fray, even as Vṛtra and Vāsava of old.

6.86.55 Beholding the rākṣasa, frenzied for combat, rushing upon him, the mighty Irāvān, inflamed with wrath, charged against him in turn.

6.86.56 As the evil-minded one drew near in the battle, with his sword he cut asunder his blazing bow and his five quivers as well.

6.86.57 Seeing his bow cut through, he sprang swiftly into the sky, as though to bewilder the enraged Irāvān by his magic.

6.86.58 Then Irāvān too, leaping into the firmament, baffled the rākṣasa with his own illusions; and that one, knower of every vital point, able to take any form at will and hard to assail, cut the other's limbs to pieces with his shafts.

6.86.59 Yet that foremost of rākṣasas, though hewn by the arrows again and again, knit himself whole once more, O great king, and recovered his youth.

6.86.60 For illusion is inborn in their kind, and their age and form are shaped by will; thus the rākṣasa's body, severed and severed again, grew back each time.

6.86.61 Irāvān too, exceedingly wroth, hewed that mighty rākṣasa again and again with a keen battle-axe.

6.86.62 Cleft by that strong hero like a tree under the axe, the rākṣasa roared horribly, and that cry grew into a tumult.

6.86.63 Gashed by the battle-axe, the rākṣasa streamed with abundant blood; thereupon the strong one fell into a fury and put forth his utmost speed in the encounter.

6.86.64 Then the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, beholding his foe grown mighty in the fight, assumed a huge and dreadful shape and set about seizing him, there in the very midst of the battle-front, while all looked on.

6.86.65 Beholding that illusion of the great-souled rākṣasa, Irāvān too, sore enraged, set about conjuring an illusion of his own.

6.86.66 As he, overmastered by wrath and never turning back in battles, stood there, the kindred of his mother's line came to his aid.

6.86.67 Encompassed on every side in the fray by a host of serpents, O king, he took on a vast form, like Ananta wreathed in his coils, and then with snakes of many kinds he covered over the rākṣasa.

6.86.68 But that bull among rākṣasas, while being mantled by the serpents, bethought himself, took the form of Suparṇa, and devoured the snakes.

6.86.69 When by that magic the kindred of his mother's line had been consumed, the rākṣasa, finding Irāvān bewildered, slew him with his sword.

6.86.70 The head of Irāvān, with its earrings and diadem, gleaming like the lotus and the moon, the rākṣasa struck down to the earth.

6.86.71 When that hero, Arjuna's son, had been slain by the rākṣasa, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with their king, were freed of their grief.

6.86.72 In that great and terrible battle, once again a fearful and grievous confusion arose between the two armies.

6.86.73 Horses, elephants, and foot-soldiers, all confounded together, were slain by the tuskers; and chariots and elephants too were destroyed there by the infantry.

6.86.74 And in the press of battle great masses of foot and chariots and many horses, O king, were slain by the chariot-warriors of thine and theirs alike.

6.86.75 Arjuna too, not knowing that his own begotten son was slain, struck down in the battle those heroic kings who guarded Bhīṣma.

6.86.76 In like manner thy warriors, O king, and the mighty Sṛñjayas, offering up their very lives in the fight, slew one another.

6.86.77 With their hair loosened, stripped of their armour, robbed of their chariots, their bows cut asunder, they grappled hand to hand, closing with one another.

6.86.78 And Bhīṣma, with shafts that pierced the vital parts, struck down great chariot-warriors, the mighty one making the army of the Pāṇḍavas tremble in the fray.

6.86.79 By him in Yudhiṣṭhira's host were many men slain — elephants and horsemen and chariot-fighters and horses as well.

6.86.80 There, O Bhārata, beholding the prowess of Bhīṣma in the battle, we saw it most marvellous, like the prowess of Śakra himself.

6.86.81 In like manner, O Bhārata, fierce was then the battle of Bhīmasena and of the son of Pṛṣata and of the bowman of the Sātvata line.

6.86.82 Beholding the valour of Droṇa, fear entered the Pāṇḍavas: 'He alone in battle is able to slay us together with our hosts.'

6.86.83 'How much more, then, when he is ringed about by the heroes of the earth and bands of warriors?' — thus they spoke, O great king, hard-pressed by Droṇa in the fight.

6.86.84 As that fearful battle thus raged on, O bull of the Bhāratas, the heroes of both armies brooked no quarter from one another.

6.86.85 As though possessed, the mighty bowmen fought, become very rākṣasas — thy men and the sons of Pāṇḍu alike, O sire, all in a frenzy.

6.86.86 We saw not a single warrior, O lord of men, who sought to guard his own life in that battle that resembled a war of the Daityas.

6.87.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: When they saw Irāvān slain, what did the sons of Pṛthā, those great chariot-warriors, do in the battle? Tell me that, O Saṃjaya.

6.87.2 Saṃjaya said: Seeing Irāvān slain in the battle, the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, son of Bhīmasena, sent forth a mighty roar.

6.87.3 At the sound of his roaring, the earth, robed in her oceans and clad in her mountains and forests, shook violently then, O king, and so too the firmament, all the quarters, and the intermediate points.

6.87.4 Hearing that mighty roar, O Bhārata, in thy army there arose a stiffening of the thighs, a trembling, and a breaking out of sweat.

6.87.5 And all thy men, O lord of kings, downcast in spirit, coiled in upon themselves like snakes, like elephants in dread of the lion.

6.87.6 Roaring his mighty roar like a thunderclap, the rākṣasa, lifting on high his blazing spear, assumed a terrifying shape.

6.87.7 Surrounded by bulls among rākṣasas armed with dreadful weapons of every kind, he came on in fury, like Yama the all-ending Death.

6.87.8 Beholding him bearing down, wrathful and terrible to look upon, and seeing his own host for the most part turned away in fear of him —

6.87.9 Then king Duryodhana rushed upon Ghaṭotkaca, grasping his great bow and roaring again and again like a lion.

6.87.10 And behind him there followed the lord of the Vaṅgas himself, with ten thousand elephants, mountain-like and streaming with rut.

6.87.11 Beholding thy son bearing down upon him, hedged about by that array of elephants, O great king, the night-ranger flew into a rage.

6.87.12 Then began a battle, tumultuous and making the hair stand on end, O lord of kings, between the rākṣasas and the host of Duryodhana.

6.87.13 And beholding the elephant-array rising up like a bank of clouds, the rākṣasas, weapons in hand, charged at it in fury.

6.87.14 Sounding forth divers cries, like thunderclouds charged with lightning, they smote the elephant-riders with arrows, darts, lances, and iron shafts.

6.87.15 With bhiṇḍipālas and spears, with maces and battle-axes, with mountain-peaks and trees, they struck down the great elephants.

6.87.16 Elephants with their frontal globes split, bathed in blood, their bodies torn open, we beheld, O great king, being slaughtered by the night-rangers.

6.87.17 As those elephant-warriors were being destroyed and broken, Duryodhana, O great king, rushed upon the rākṣasas.

6.87.18 Yielding himself to wrath and setting his own life at naught, the mighty one loosed sharpened arrows upon the rākṣasas.

6.87.19 And that great bowman, thy son Duryodhana, O foremost of the Bhāratas, in his fury slew the chief rākṣasas there.

6.87.20 That great chariot-warrior slew with four arrows four of them — the swift, the most fearsome, Vidyujjihvā, and Pramāthin.

6.87.21 Then again that one of immeasurable spirit, O foremost of the Bhāratas, loosed an irresistible torrent of arrows against the host of the night-rangers.

6.87.22 Beholding that great deed of thy son, O honoured one, the mighty Ghaṭotkaca, son of Bhīmasena, blazed up with wrath.

6.87.23 And twanging his great bow, whose sound was like the thunderbolt of Indra, he rushed with speed upon Duryodhana, that crusher of foes.

6.87.24 Beholding him bearing down like Death let loose by Time, thy son Duryodhana, O great king, faltered not at all.

6.87.25 Then the cruel one, enraged, his eyes red with anger, spoke to him: 'Those whom thou, most ruthless, didst banish into exile for a long while — those Pāṇḍavas, O king, whom thou didst vanquish by fraud at the game of dice —'

6.87.26 '— and when Draupadī Kṛṣṇā, clad in a single garment, in her courses, was dragged into the assembly hall, O evil-minded one, and by thee tormented in many ways —'

6.87.27 '— and how, to do thee a pleasure, the vile lord of the Sindhus, while she dwelt in the hermitage, harassed her, setting at naught my elders —'

6.87.28 '— of these affronts, O basest of thy line, and of the others too, this day I shall make an end, unless thou quit the battle.'

6.87.29 Having spoken thus, the son of Hiḍimbā, twanging his great bow, biting his lip with his teeth and licking the corners of his mouth —

6.87.30 — overwhelmed Duryodhana with a mighty rain of arrows, as a storm-cloud in the rains drenches a mountain with its torrents of water.

6.88.1 Saṃjaya said: Then that shower of arrows, unbearable even to the Dānavas, the lord of kings sustained in the battle, as a great elephant withstands the downpour of rain.

6.88.2 Then, filled with wrath, hissing like a serpent, thy son, O bull of the Bhāratas, came into the utmost peril.

6.88.3 He loosed five-and-twenty whetted, keen iron shafts; and they fell all at once, O king, upon that bull among rākṣasas, like wrathful venom-fanged serpents upon the mountain Gandhamādana.

6.88.4 Pierced by them and streaming with blood like an elephant in rut, that eater of flesh set his mind upon the king's destruction and grasped a great dart, able to rend even the mountains.

6.88.5 Flaming like a great meteor, that dart the mighty-armed one raised on high, as Maghavan his thunderbolt, eager to slay thy son.

6.88.6 Seeing it lifted up, the lord of the Vaṅgas, in haste, urged on against the rākṣasa his elephant, huge as a hill.

6.88.7 With that strong and swift-footed prince of elephants, in the battle, he made for the path where Duryodhana's chariot stood, and with the tusker barred the way of thy son's car.

6.88.8 Seeing his path blocked by the wise king of the Vaṅgas, Ghaṭotkaca, O great king, his eyes red with wrath, hurled that uplifted great dart at the elephant.

6.88.9 Struck by it, O king, as it sped from his arm, the elephant, with a gush of welling blood, fell down and died.

6.88.10 And as the elephant fell, the strong lord of the Vaṅgas, springing down with speed, came to the surface of the earth.

6.88.11 Duryodhana too, beholding that noble elephant struck down, and seeing his host broken, fell into the deepest distress.

6.88.12 Yet setting before him the law of the warrior and his own self-respect, the king, though the hour to retreat had come, stood firm as an unshaken mountain.

6.88.13 And fitting to his bow a sharpened arrow, blazing like the fire of Time, in utmost wrath he loosed it at that dreadful night-ranger.

6.88.14 Beholding that arrow speeding on, bright as Indra's thunderbolt, the huge-bodied Ghaṭotkaca by his nimbleness eluded it.

6.88.15 Once more the fierce one roared, his eyes red with wrath, affrighting all beings, like a thunder-cloud at the ending of an age.

6.88.16 Hearing that dreadful roar of the rākṣasa, Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, drew near to the preceptor and spoke:

6.88.17 'By the dreadful roar that is heard, raised by the rākṣasa, surely the son of Hiḍimbā is even now doing battle with king Duryodhana.'

6.88.18 "This one cannot be conquered in battle by any living creature. Go there, good fortune to you, and guard the king well.

6.88.19 The illustrious king is hard pressed by that wicked-souled rākṣasa. This, O scorchers of foes, is now the foremost duty of us all."

6.88.20 Hearing the grandsire's words, the great chariot-warriors made haste and, summoning their utmost speed, rushed to where the Kaurava stood.

6.88.21 Droṇa and Somadatta and Bāhlika and Jayadratha, Kṛpa, Bhūriśravas, Śalya, Citrasena, Viviṃśati—

6.88.22 Aśvatthāman and Vikarṇa, the prince of Avanti and Bṛhadbala, and the many thousands of chariots that followed them—all seeking to rescue your hard-pressed son Duryodhana.

6.88.23 Beholding that unassailable host, guarded by the foremost men of the world, advancing upon him with weapons drawn, the best of rākṣasas, mighty-armed, did not waver—like the mountain Maināka.

6.88.24 Grasping his vast bow, surrounded by his kinsmen, who bore spears and maces in their hands and weapons of every kind,

6.88.25 there arose a tumultuous, hair-raising battle between the chief of the rākṣasas and the army of Duryodhana.

6.88.26 The twanging clamor of the bows rose tumultuous on every side; it was heard, O great king, like the crackling of bamboos burning in a fire.

6.88.27 From the weapons falling upon the armor of embodied warriors there arose a sound, O king, like that of mountains splitting asunder.

6.88.28 The javelins hurled by the arms of heroes, as they coursed through the sky, O lord of peoples, had the look of serpents gliding aloft.

6.88.29 Then, supremely enraged, the mighty-armed lord of rākṣasas drew his enormous bow taut and let loose a terrible roar.

6.88.30 In his wrath he cut through the teacher's bow with a crescent-headed arrow, and with a broad shaft he struck down Somadatta's banner and roared aloud.

6.88.31 He pierced Bāhlika between the breasts with three arrows, struck Kṛpa with one, and Citrasena with three shafts.

6.88.32 With a shaft drawn to the full and well aimed, reaching Vikarṇa at the collarbone, he smote him; and Vikarṇa sank down upon the floor of his chariot, drenched in blood.

6.88.33 Then again the immeasurable-souled one, enraged, loosed fifteen iron shafts at Bhūriśravas, O bull of the Bhāratas; and they, piercing his armor, swiftly passed on and entered the surface of the earth.

6.88.34 He struck the charioteers of Viviṃśati and of Droṇa's son, and both fell upon the floors of their chariots, letting go the reins of their horses.

6.88.35 With a crescent-headed arrow he tore down the gold-adorned boar-emblem of the king of the Sindhus, O great king, and with a second he severed his bow.

6.88.36 Then with four iron shafts, his eyes red with wrath, he slew the four horses of the high-souled prince of Avanti.

6.88.37 With a sharp, yellow shaft drawn to the full, he pierced through the prince Bṛhadbala, O great king; and he, sorely wounded and shaken, sank down within his chariot.

6.88.38 Then, deeply possessed by wrath, the lord of rākṣasas, mounted on his chariot, hurled sharp, keen arrows like venomous serpents; and these, O great king, pierced Śalya, skilled in war.

6.89.1 Saṃjaya said: Having turned back all your warriors in the fight, the rākṣasa, eager to slay, rushed upon Duryodhana, O best of the Bhāratas.

6.89.2 Seeing him charging swiftly upon the king, your warriors, frenzied for battle, rushed forward eager to kill him.

6.89.3 Drawing their bows tall as palm trees, those men of great might rushed upon him alone, roaring like a troop of lions.

6.89.4 Then they hemmed him in on every side with a torrent of arrows, as autumn clouds enshroud a mountain with their downpour of rain.

6.89.5 Sorely wounded and pained, like an elephant goaded by the driver's hook, he sprang up into the sky on every side like the son of Vinatā.

6.89.6 He let forth a mighty roar like an autumn thundercloud, his terrible voice making the quarters, the sky, and the intermediate regions resound.

6.89.7 Hearing that roar of the rākṣasa, king Yudhiṣṭhira, the best of the Bhāratas, spoke these words to Bhīmasena:

6.89.8 "Surely the rākṣasa is fighting against the great chariot-warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, as one hears his cry roaring with a terrible voice. I perceive, dear one, that a grievous burden has fallen upon him there.

6.89.9 And the grandsire, enraged, is bent upon destroying the Pāñcālas; and Phalguna, to protect them, fights against the foes.

6.89.10 Hearing of this, O mighty-armed one, two tasks press upon us. Go and protect the son of Hiḍimbā, who has come into the gravest peril."

6.89.11 Heeding his brother's word, Vṛkodara hastened forth, terrifying all the kings with his lion's roar, and with great speed, O king, like the ocean at the time of the new moon.

6.89.12 Satyadhṛti followed him, and the son of Sucitti, mad for battle, and Śreṇimān and Vasudāna, and the son of the king of Kāśi, Abhibhū.

6.89.13 And the sons of Draupadī, great chariot-warriors led by Abhimanyu, and the valiant Kṣatradeva, and Kṣatradharman likewise,

6.89.14 and the lord of Anūpa, Nīla, stationed amid his own forces—with a great array of chariots they surrounded the son of Hiḍimbā.

6.89.15 And with six thousand ever-rutting, war-striking elephants, joined together, they guarded the lord of rākṣasas, Ghaṭotkaca.

6.89.16 With a great lion-roar, with the rumble of chariot-wheel rims, and with the thunder of hoofbeats, they made the earth tremble.

6.89.17 Hearing the noise of their onset, your host, agitated by fear of Bhīmasena and pale of face, turned and fled, O great king, abandoning Ghaṭotkaca.

6.89.18 Then the battle broke out here and there among those high-souled men, your warriors and the foes alike, who never turned back in combat.

6.89.19 Loosing weapons of every kind, the great chariot-warriors rushed upon one another and joined in a clash—a tangled, most terrible fight, fraught with terror for the faint of heart.

6.89.20 Horses closed with elephants, foot-soldiers with charioteers, each seeking great glory against the other in the fight, O king.

6.89.21 And of a sudden, from that collision, there arose a thick, dense dust, churned up by the feet and wheel-rims of chariots, horses, elephants, and infantry.

6.89.22 The dense dust, smoke-gray and red, covered over the field of battle; and neither one's own men nor the foe, O king, could recognize one another.

6.89.23 Father knew not son, nor son his father, in that hair-raising carnage where all bounds were broken.

6.89.24 Of the weapons and of the men crying aloud there rose a mighty din, O best of the Bhāratas, like that of bamboos burning in a fire.

6.89.25 A river streamed there with waves of the blood and entrails of elephants, horses, and men, its weeds and grasses made of human hair.

6.89.26 As the heads of men fell from their bodies in the battle, a very great sound was heard, like that of falling stones.

6.89.27 With headless men, with elephants whose limbs were severed, and with horses whose bodies were torn apart, the earth was strewn over.

6.89.28 Loosing weapons of many kinds, the great chariot-warriors rushed upon one another and joined in the clash of arms.

6.89.29 Horses, urged on by their riders, met other horses and, striking against one another in the fight, fell down with their lives fled.

6.89.30 Men met men, their eyes deeply red with wrath, and pressing breast against breast they grappled and slew one another.

6.89.31 Driven on by their mahouts, elephants struck the enemy's elephants, smiting those elephants in the fray with the tips of their tusks.

6.89.32 Streaming with welling blood and adorned with banners, locked together they looked like clouds shot through with lightning.

6.89.33 Some, pierced by tusk-tips and their frontal globes broken by javelins, charged about trumpeting, roaring like rain-clouds.

6.89.34 Some, their trunks cut in two, and others with their limbs severed, fell in that tumult like mountains shorn of their wings.

6.89.35 Other splendid elephants, their flanks rent open by the foe's elephants, poured forth blood in floods, like mountains streaming with their ores.

6.89.36 Others, struck by iron shafts and pierced by javelins, their riders slain, appeared like mountains shorn of their peaks.

6.89.37 Some, possessed by rage, blind with rut and unrestrained, crushed chariots, horses, and footmen by the hundred in the battle.

6.89.38 And horses, struck by their riders with lances and javelins, wheeled this way and that, throwing the quarters into confusion.

6.89.39 Chariot-warriors against chariot-warriors, men of noble birth ready to give up their bodies, putting forth their utmost strength, performed deeds without fear.

6.89.40 In that carnage they struck at one another as at a bridegroom's choosing, those skilled in war seeking glory, O king, or else heaven.

6.89.41 As that hair-raising battle raged on, the great army of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son was for the most part turned to flight.

6.90.1 Saṃjaya said: Seeing his own army slaughtered, king Duryodhana himself, enraged, rushed against Bhīmasena, the tamer of foes.

6.90.2 Grasping his enormous bow, whose twang was like the thunderbolt of Indra, he covered the Pāṇḍava with a great torrent of arrows.

6.90.3 And fitting to his bow a very sharp, feathered crescent-headed shaft, filled with wrath, he severed Bhīmasena's bow.

6.90.4 Seeing his opening, the great chariot-warrior in haste fitted a keen arrow that could cleave even mountains, and with it the mighty-armed one struck Bhīmasena upon the chest.

6.90.5 Sorely wounded and pained, the splendid warrior, licking the corners of his mouth, clung to his gold-wrought banner-staff.

6.90.6 Seeing Bhīmasena thus distressed, Ghaṭotkaca blazed up with wrath, like a fire about to consume all.

6.90.7 And the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, led by Abhimanyu, charged forward shouting, agitated, upon the king.

6.90.8 Seeing them rushing on, enraged and agitated, the son of Bharadvāja spoke these words to your great chariot-warriors:

6.90.9 "Go swiftly, good fortune to you, and protect the king, who has come into the gravest peril and is sinking in an ocean of distress.

6.90.10 These enraged, mighty bowmen, the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, with Bhīmasena at their head, have fallen upon Duryodhana,

6.90.11 loosing weapons of every kind, intent on victory, roaring terrible roars and making this earth tremble."

6.90.12 Hearing those words of the teacher, your warriors, with Somadatta at their head, turned upon the host of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.90.13 Kṛpa, Bhūriśravas, Śalya, Droṇa's son, Viviṃśati, Citrasena and Vikarṇa, then the lord of the Sindhus and Bṛhadbala, and the two mighty bowmen of Avanti—these surrounded the Kaurava king.

6.90.14 Having advanced twenty paces, the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra joined in the clash, each seeking to slay the other.

6.90.15 Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed son of Bharadvāja drew his great bow taut and then struck Bhīma with twenty-six arrows.

6.90.16 And again the mighty-armed one swiftly covered him with arrows, as an autumn cloud enshrouds a mountain with its downpour of rain.

6.90.17 Bhīmasena struck him back with ten arrows—that mighty bowman of great strength, in haste, upon the left side.

6.90.18 Sorely wounded and pained, and aged withal, O Bhārata, his senses suddenly lost, he sank down upon the floor of his chariot.

6.90.19 Seeing the teacher sorely afflicted, King Duryodhana himself and the son of Droṇa, both in fury, rushed upon Bhīmasena.

6.90.20 Beholding the two of them bearing down upon him, like Death and Yama at the end of time, the mighty-armed Bhīmasena swiftly seized his mace.

6.90.21 Leaping down at once from his chariot, he stood unmoving as a mountain, raising aloft in battle his heavy mace, like the rod of Yama.

6.90.22 Seeing him with mace upraised, like Kailāsa with its peak, the Kaurava and the son of Droṇa together charged upon him.

6.90.23 As those two foremost among the strong rushed on together in haste, Vṛkodara too, hurrying, ran toward them with great speed.

6.90.24 Beholding him bearing down, enraged and terrible to look upon, the great chariot-warriors of the Kauravas swiftly ran to meet him.

6.90.25 All of them, with the son of Bharadvāja at their head, in their desire to slay Bhīmasena, let fall weapons of every kind upon Bhīma's breast, and together oppressed the Pāṇḍava on every side.

6.90.26 Seeing that great chariot-warrior brought into peril and hard pressed, the great warriors of the Pāṇḍavas led by Abhimanyu rushed to his rescue, casting aside life so hard to cast away.

6.90.27 The valiant lord of the Anūpas, the dear friend of Bhīma, Nīla, dark as a rain-cloud, in fury fell upon the son of Droṇa — that mighty archer who ever vied with Droṇa's son.

6.90.28 Drawing his great bow, he pierced the son of Droṇa with a feathered shaft, even as Śakra in olden days, O great king, pierced the Dānava —

6.90.29 Vipracitti, hard to assail, terror of the gods, by whom in his wrath the three worlds were affrighted through his own splendor.

6.90.30 Thus pierced by Nīla with a keen-pointed winged shaft, and with his blood gushing forth, the son of Droṇa was filled with wrath.

6.90.31 Drawing his wondrous bow, loud as the thunderbolt of Indra, that foremost of the wise set his mind upon the destruction of Nīla.

6.90.32 Then, fitting to his bow bright broad-headed arrows tempered by the smith, he slew his four steeds and brought down his banner.

6.90.33 And with a seventh broad-headed shaft he pierced Nīla in the breast; sorely wounded and in anguish, he sank down upon the floor of his chariot.

6.90.34 Seeing King Nīla, dark as a mass of clouds, swooning away, Ghaṭotkaca too, in fury, surrounded by his brothers,

6.90.35 rushed with speed upon the son of Droṇa, splendid in battle; and likewise the other Rākṣasas, frenzied in war, charged after him.

6.90.36 Beholding that Rākṣasa of fearful aspect bearing down upon him, the splendid son of Bharadvāja swiftly rushed to meet him.

6.90.37 And in his wrath he slew the terrible-looking Rākṣasas who, enraged, stood foremost as the vanguard of the Rākṣasa.

6.90.38 Seeing them turned away by the arrows loosed from the bow of Droṇa's son, the huge-bodied Ghaṭotkaca, son of Bhīmasena, blazed up in anger.

6.90.39 That lord of Rākṣasas, master of illusion, conjured up a great magic, terrible of form and most dreadful, bewildering the son of Droṇa in the fray.

6.90.40 Then all your warriors, turned to flight by that illusion, beheld one another lying hewn upon the earth, writhing in piteous plight and drenched with blood —

6.90.41 Droṇa, Duryodhana, Śalya, and Aśvatthāman, and for the most part the great archers and the chief among the Kauravas.

6.90.42 All the chariot-warriors seemed shattered, the elephants struck down, and the horses with their riders cut to pieces by the thousand.

6.90.43 Seeing this, your army fled toward the camp, O king, while I and Devavrata cried aloud to them —

6.90.44 "Fight on, do not flee! This is but Rākṣasa illusion wrought in battle by Ghaṭotkaca!" — yet, bewildered, they would not stand their ground, nor in their terror did they heed the words of us two as we spoke.

6.90.45 Seeing them in full flight, the Pāṇḍavas, victorious now, together with Ghaṭotkaca raised lion-roars, and the blare of conches and the boom of drums resounded loudly on every side.

6.90.46 Thus, at the hour of the sun's setting, all your host was broken by the wicked son of Hiḍimbā and scattered to the quarters.

6.91.1 Saṃjaya said: In that great tumult of battle, King Duryodhana then drew near to the son of Gaṅgā, and bowing to him with reverence,

6.91.2 he began to recount to him all that had passed — the victory of Ghaṭotkaca and his own defeat.

6.91.3 The unconquerable one told his tale, sighing again and again, and then, O king, he spoke to Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus:

6.91.4 "Relying upon you, even as the foe rely upon Vāsudeva, I have begun this terrible strife with the Pāṇḍavas, O lord.

6.91.5 The eleven armies that are reckoned mine stand, together with me, under your command, O scorcher of foes.

6.91.6 Yet I, O tiger of the Bhāratas, have been vanquished in battle by the Pāṇḍavas led by Bhīmasena, who took Ghaṭotkaca for their stay.

6.91.7 This burns my limbs as fire burns a withered tree. Therefore I desire, O illustrious one, by your grace, O scorcher of foes,

6.91.8 to slay that vile Rākṣasa myself, O grandsire, with you for my refuge, unconquerable one — this you ought to grant me to do."

6.91.9 Hearing this speech of the king, O best of the Bhāratas, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu spoke these words to Duryodhana:

6.91.10 "Hear my word, O king, which I shall speak to you, O Kaurava — how you ought to bear yourself, O great king, O scorcher of foes.

6.91.11 Your own self must be guarded in battle, dear son, in every plight, O subduer of foes; your warfare, O ever sinless one, should be waged against the King of Righteousness,

6.91.12 or with Arjuna, or the twins, or again with Bhīmasena; for, observing the duty of kings, a king should meet a king in combat.

6.91.13 I, and Droṇa, Kṛpa, the son of Droṇa, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas, and Śalya, and the son of Somadatta, and Vikarṇa the great chariot-warrior,

6.91.14 and your valiant brothers led by Duḥśāsana — we shall fight for your sake against that mighty Rākṣasa.

6.91.15 But if you cherish a great longing in your heart against that fierce lord of Rākṣasas, then let King Bhagadatta, the equal of Purandara in battle, go forth to fight that evil-minded one in the fray."

6.91.16 Having said so much to the king, that master of speech then addressed Bhagadatta in the presence of the lord of kings:

6.91.17 "Go swiftly, O great king, and check in battle the war-frenzied son of Hiḍimbā, striving with all your might before the eyes of all the bowmen — that Rākṣasa of cruel deeds, even as Indra of old checked Tāraka.

6.91.18 Yours are celestial weapons and prowess too, O scorcher of foes, and in days gone by you have met in combat with many Asuras.

6.91.19 You, O tiger among kings, are his match in the great battle; girt by your own host, O king, slay that bull among Rākṣasas."

6.91.20 Hearing this word of Bhīṣma, the commander of the host, he set forth swiftly with a lion-roar straight toward the foe.

6.91.21 Beholding him rushing on, thundering like a rain-cloud, the enraged great warriors of the Pāṇḍavas advanced against him —

6.91.22 Bhīmasena and Abhimanyu, and the Rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, the sons of Draupadī, Satyadhṛti, and Kṣatradeva, O venerable one,

6.91.23 the lord of the Cedis and Vasudāna, and the lord of the Daśārṇas as well; and upon all these Bhagadatta too charged with his elephant Supratīka.

6.91.24 Then there arose a battle horrible of form and dreadful between the Pāṇḍavas and Bhagadatta, swelling the realm of Yama.

6.91.25 The arrows let fly by the chariot-warriors, of dread speed and well sharpened, fell, O great king, upon the elephants and the chariots.

6.91.26 And the great elephants in rut, well trained by their drivers, meeting one another, fell upon each other without fear.

6.91.27 Blinded by rut and seized with rage, in that great battle they gored one another with the points of their tusks and smote with their pestle-like tusks as they closed in.

6.91.28 And the horses, decked with chowries and mounted by riders with lances in hand, urged swiftly on by their riders, fell upon one another.

6.91.29 And the foot-soldiers, struck by hosts of footmen with darts and javelins, fell then to the ground by hundreds and by thousands.

6.91.30 And the chariot-warriors too, O king, slaying heroes in the fray with barbed and reed-shafted arrows, sent forth their lion-roars.

6.91.31 While that hair-raising battle thus went on, Bhagadatta the great archer rushed upon Bhīmasena,

6.91.32 upon his elephant in rut, pouring forth its ichor in seven streams, like a mountain pouring down its waters on every side,

6.91.33 scattering thousands of arrows as he rode upon Supratīka's head, O sinless one, like Maghavat upon Airāvata pouring down showers of rain.

6.91.34 That king smote Bhīma with streams of arrows, as a thundercloud in the rains beats upon a mountain with its torrents of water.

6.91.35 But Bhīmasena, that great archer, in his wrath slew more than a hundred of the foot-guards with showers of arrows, enraged.

6.91.36 Seeing them slain, the mighty Bhagadatta in his fury urged his lordly elephant against the chariot of Bhīmasena.

6.91.37 That elephant, sent on by him like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, rushed with speed upon Bhīmasena, the subduer of foes.

6.91.38 Seeing it bearing down, the great warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, with Bhīmasena at their head, advanced against it with speed —

6.91.39 the Kekayas and Abhimanyu and all the sons of Draupadī, the valiant lord of the Daśārṇas and Kṣatradeva, O venerable one, the lord of the Cedis and Citraketu — all of them enraged.

6.91.40 Displaying their celestial weapons of the highest order, those mighty ones in their wrath surrounded that one elephant on every side.

6.91.41 Pierced by many arrows, that great elephant shone forth, with the gush of its flowing blood, like a lordly mountain bright with its mineral hues.

6.91.42 And the lord of the Daśārṇas too, mounted on his own elephant huge as a mountain, rushed against the elephant of Bhagadatta.

6.91.43 And that lord of elephants, Supratīka, withstood that elephant bearing down upon him in battle, as the shore withstands the ocean, the abode of sea-monsters.

6.91.44 Seeing the lordly elephant of the high-souled king of the Daśārṇas thus held in check, the armies of the Pāṇḍavas applauded it, crying "Well done, well done!"

6.91.45 Then the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, in his wrath, hurled fourteen javelins full at the front of that elephant, O best of kings.

6.91.46 Rending its armor and its face-guard adorned with gold, they entered swiftly, as serpents enter an anthill.

6.91.47 That elephant, sorely pierced and in anguish, O best of the Bhāratas, its rut suddenly stilled, swiftly turned and wheeled away in haste.

6.91.48 And it fled with great speed, trumpeting a fearful cry, crushing its own host as the wind in its might crushes the trees.

6.91.49 When that elephant was put to flight, the great warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, roaring aloud their lion-roars, drew up once more for battle.

6.91.50 Then, with Bhīma at their head, they rushed upon Bhagadatta, scattering arrows of many kinds and weapons of many sorts.

6.91.51 Hearing the terrible din of those enraged and wrathful warriors bearing down, O king, Bhagadatta the great archer, his fear gone in his fury, urged his elephant on against them.

6.91.52 Goaded by the hook and the thumb, that best of elephants in battle became in that moment like the fire of universal dissolution.

6.91.53 Chariot-hosts and elephants, horses together with their riders, and foot-soldiers too, the enraged warrior crushed by hundreds and by thousands, O king, charging this way and that across the battlefield.

6.91.54 Churned and harried by him, that great host of the Pāṇḍavas shrank back, O great king, like a hide drawn tight in the fire.

6.91.55 Seeing his own host broken by the wise Bhagadatta, Ghaṭotkaca then, filled with wrath, rushed upon Bhagadatta.

6.91.56 A fearsome figure, O king, with blazing face and blazing eyes, assuming a terrifying form, he seemed to flame with fury.

6.91.57 He seized a massive spear that could rend even mountains, and, eager to slay the elephant, the mighty one suddenly hurled it, wreathed all around with sparks and flames.

6.91.58 Seeing it rushing suddenly upon him in the fray, wreathed in flame, that king loosed a bright, keen crescent-headed arrow and with that swift shaft cleft the enormous spear in two.

6.91.59 Cut in two, the gold-adorned spear fell, like a great thunderbolt loosed by Śakra and hurtling fallen from the sky.

6.91.60 Seeing the spear fallen, cleft in two, that king took up a great dart with a golden shaft, like a tongue of fire, and hurled it at the rākṣasa, crying, "Stand! Stand!"

6.91.61 Beholding it rushing down upon him like a thunderbolt poised in the sky, the rākṣasa leapt up at once, caught it, and roared aloud.

6.91.62 And swiftly, setting it upon his knee, he broke it, O Bhārata, before the very eyes of that lord of kings; a marvel, it seemed, came to pass.

6.91.63 Beholding that deed done by the mighty rākṣasa, the gods in heaven, with the gandharvas and the sages, were filled with wonder.

6.91.64 And the Pāṇḍava great archers, with Bhīmasena at their head, made the earth resound with the cry, "Well done! Well done!"

6.91.65 But hearing that great shout of the exultant high-souled ones, the great archer Bhagadatta, full of valor, could not bear it.

6.91.66 Drawing his great bow, whose twang was like the roar of Indra's thunderbolt, he rushed with speed upon the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, loosing bright, keen iron shafts that gleamed like flame.

6.91.67 He pierced Bhīma with one arrow, the rākṣasa with nine shafts, Abhimanyu with three, and the Kekayas with five.

6.91.68 With a winged, golden-nocked shaft loosed from a fully drawn bow, he pierced the right arm of Kṣatradeva in the battle, and suddenly his excellent bow, with its arrow, fell from his grasp.

6.91.69 Then he struck the five sons of Draupadī with five arrows, and in his wrath he slew the horses of Bhīmasena.

6.91.70 He cut down his lion-bannered standard with three barbless shafts, and with three other winged arrows he pierced through his charioteer.

6.91.71 Deeply wounded and stricken, Viśoka sank down upon the chariot-seat, O best of the Bhāratas, struck by Bhagadatta in the fight.

6.91.72 Then Bhīma, O great king, that foremost of chariot-warriors, now bereft of his chariot, seized his mace and sprang swiftly down from the great car.

6.91.73 Seeing him with mace upraised, like a mountain with its peak, a dreadful terror came upon your warriors, O Bhārata.

6.91.74 At that very moment, O great king, the Pāṇḍava whose charioteer was Kṛṣṇa came up, slaying his foes by the thousand.

6.91.75 He came to where those two tigers among men, father and son, scorchers of the foe, Bhīmasena and Ghaṭotkaca, were locked in struggle with the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa.

6.91.76 Seeing those great chariot-warriors locked in combat, O king, the Pāṇḍava, O best of the Bhāratas, came there in haste, scattering his shafts.

6.91.77 Then King Duryodhana, that great chariot-warrior, in his haste swiftly urged on his host, thronged with chariots, elephants, and horses.

6.91.78 Against that great Kaurava army rushing suddenly upon him, the Pāṇḍava borne by white horses charged with speed.

6.91.79 Bhagadatta too in the battle, O Bhārata, crushing the Pāṇḍava host with that elephant, rushed upon Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.91.80 Then there was a tumultuous battle, O honored sir, between Bhagadatta and the Pāñcālas, the Sṛñjayas, and the Kekayas with weapons upraised.

6.91.81 And Bhīmasena in the battle made both Keśava and Arjuna hear, just as it had happened, of the grievous slaying of Irāvat.

6.92.1 Saṃjaya said: Hearing that his son Irāvat had been slain, Dhanaṃjaya, overcome with great grief, hissed like a serpent.

6.92.2 In the midst of the battle, O king, he spoke these words to Vāsudeva: "Surely it was this that the deeply wise Vidura foresaw of old—

6.92.3 the terrible destruction of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas; and so that great-minded one strove to restrain Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the lord of men.

6.92.4 Many heroes who ought never to have been slain, O slayer of Madhu, have been struck down in this battle by the Kauravas, and slain by us as well.

6.92.5 For the sake of wealth, O best of men, this contemptible deed is done. Cursed be that wealth, for whose sake such a destruction of kinsmen is wrought!

6.92.6 Better death in poverty than wealth won by the slaying of kin. What shall we gain, O Kṛṣṇa, by slaying our kinsmen gathered here?

6.92.7 Through the offense of Duryodhana, of Śakuni the son of Subala, and through the evil counsel of Karṇa, the kṣatriyas go to their destruction.

6.92.8 And now I understand, O slayer of Madhu, how rightly the king acted, O mighty-armed one, when he begged of Suyodhana but half the kingdom, or even five villages—yet that evil-minded one would not grant it.

6.92.9 For seeing the valiant kṣatriyas lying upon the face of the earth, I bitterly reproach myself: a curse upon the warrior's calling!

6.92.10 These kṣatriyas will think me powerless in battle. Yet for me, O slayer of Madhu, this warring against my own kinsmen is no fit thing.

6.92.11 Drive the horses swiftly toward the host of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son. With my two arms I shall cross to the far shore of this vast ocean of war. This, O Mādhava, is no time anywhere for faintness of heart.

6.92.12 Thus addressed by Pārtha, Keśava, slayer of enemy heroes, urged on those white horses, swift as the wind.

6.92.13 Then a great roar arose from your army, O Bhārata, like that of the ocean swelling at the full moon, lashed to fury by the wind.

6.92.14 In the afternoon, O great king, a battle joined between Bhīṣma and the Pāṇḍavas, with a din like that of the storm-cloud.

6.92.15 Then, O king, your sons rushed upon Bhīmasena, surrounding Droṇa in the fray as the Vasus surround Vāsava.

6.92.16 Then Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, and Kṛpa that best of chariot-warriors, and Bhagadatta and Suśarman rushed upon Dhanaṃjaya.

6.92.17 Hārdikya and Bāhlika both rushed upon Sātyaki, while the king Ambaṣṭhaka held off Abhimanyu.

6.92.18 The rest of the great chariot-warriors, O great king, engaged the rest in turn; and so there began a battle, dreadful of aspect, fraught with terror.

6.92.19 But Bhīmasena, beholding your sons, O lord of men, blazed up in the battle in his wrath, like the fire that bears the oblation fed with ghee.

6.92.20 And your sons covered the son of Kuntī with their arrows, O great king, as the rain-clouds in the wet season veil a mountain.

6.92.21 Covered on every side by your sons, O lord of the people, that hero licked the corners of his mouth, like a tiger swollen with pride.

6.92.22 Then Bhīma, O king, with a keen razor-headed shaft, brought down Vyūḍhoraska, and he was bereft of life.

6.92.23 And with another broad-headed shaft, yellow and whetted sharp, he struck down Kuṇḍalin, as a lion brings down a lesser beast.

6.92.24 Then, swiftly, he took up seven well-whetted yellow shafts, O honored sir, when he had come upon your sons.

6.92.25 Those arrows, sped by Bhīmasena of the firm bow, struck down your sons, mighty chariot-warriors, from their cars.

6.92.26 Anādhṛṣṭi, Kuṇḍabheda, Vairāṭa, Dīrghalocana, Dīrghabāhu, Subāhu, and likewise Kanakadhvaja—

6.92.27 those heroes, as they fell, shone forth, O bull of the Bhāratas, like mango trees in spring, dappled with blossoms, brought down to the ground.

6.92.28 Then the rest of your sons fled away, O lord of the people, deeming the mighty Bhīmasena to be Death itself.

6.92.29 But Droṇa, as that hero was consuming your sons in the battle, showered him on every side with arrows, as a mountain is drenched by streams of rain.

6.92.30 There we beheld the marvelous prowess of the son of Kuntī, for though held back by Droṇa, he still went on slaying your sons.

6.92.31 As a mighty bull endures the rain falling from the sky, so Bhīma bore up under the shower of arrows loosed by Droṇa.

6.92.32 And a wondrous deed, O great king, did Vṛkodara perform there, for he slew your sons in battle and fought with Droṇa as well.

6.92.33 Among your heroic sons the elder brother of Arjuna sported, O great king, ranging like a mighty tiger among deer.

6.92.34 And as a wolf in the midst of a herd would scatter the beasts, so Vṛkodara scattered your sons in the battle.

6.92.35 The son of Gaṅgā, and Bhagadatta, and Gautama that great chariot-warrior held off in the fight the impetuous Pāṇḍava Arjuna.

6.92.36 Warding off their missiles with his own, that surpassing chariot-warrior in the battle sent the chief heroes of your armies to their death.

6.92.37 And Abhimanyu with his shafts made the king Ambaṣṭha, renowned through the world, that best of chariot-warriors, bereft of his car.

6.92.38 Bereft of his chariot and hard-pressed by the illustrious son of Subhadrā, that lord of men, in shame, swiftly leapt down from his car.

6.92.39 He hurled his sword in the battle at the high-souled son of Subhadrā, and then mounted the chariot of the high-souled Hārdikya.

6.92.40 But the son of Subhadrā, slayer of enemy heroes, skilled in the ways of war, by his nimbleness made that flying sword miss its mark.

6.92.41 Seeing the sword turned aside by the son of Subhadrā in the battle, then a great cry of "Well done! Well done!" arose from the armies, O lord of the people.

6.92.42 The others, with Dhṛṣṭadyumna at their head, fought against your army, and in the same way all your warriors fought against the host of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.92.43 There arose a great clamor among yours and among theirs, O Bhārata, as they smote one another fiercely and wrought deeds hard to do.

6.92.44 For the warriors in the battle, O honored sir, seizing one another by the hair, fought with nails, with teeth, with fists, and with knees.

6.92.45 And with arms, and with open palms, and with well-whetted swords, finding an opening, they sent one another to the abode of Yama.

6.92.46 Father slew son and son slew father in the battle; their purpose utterly distracted, the men fought there.

6.92.47 In the battle, O Bhārata, beautiful bows with golden backs, flung from the hands of the slain, and costly quivers lay scattered.

6.92.48 Sharpened arrows, with nocks of gold and silver, washed with oil, gleamed forth like serpents that had cast their skins.

6.92.49 Swords with hilts of ivory, adorned with gold, and shields with golden backs, flung away from the bowmen, lay strewn about.

6.92.50 Barbed darts wrought with gold, pikes adorned with gold, lances all of gold, and spears bright with the gleam of gold,

6.92.51 all cut down and fallen, lay there—and heavy maces, and iron clubs, and pikes, and slings too, O honored sir.

6.92.52 There lay fallen lances too, and gay caparisons wrought with gold of many shapes, and fans made of yak-tail whisks.

6.92.53 Having let fall their weapons of every kind, the men lay there; and the great chariot-warriors, though their breath was gone, seemed as if still living.

6.92.54 Their limbs crushed by maces, their skulls split open by clubs, trampled by elephants, horses, and chariots, the men lay strewn upon the earth.

6.92.55 And so with the bodies of horses, men, and elephants the earth then shone, O king, covered over on every side as though with mountains.

6.92.56 With spears, darts, arrows, and lances fallen in the fray, with swords, spiked maces, javelins, iron pikes, and battle-axes,

6.92.57 with bludgeons, slings, and engines that slay a hundred, and with bodies cleft by weapons, the earth was overspread.

6.92.58 Strewn with the dead — some voiceless, some scarcely moaning, all bathed in floods of blood — the earth shone forth, O slayer of foes, covered with the lifeless.

6.92.59 With arms still bearing their leather guards and armlets, anointed with sandal, hewn off and like the trunks of elephants, and with the severed thighs of the mighty,

6.92.60 and with the fallen heads of bull-eyed heroes, bound about with their crest-jewels and still wearing their earrings, the earth shone, O Bhārata.

6.92.61 With golden corslets smeared with blood and scattered all about, the ground gleamed exceedingly, as with fires whose flames had died down.

6.92.62 With quivers flung asunder and bows fallen down, and with arrows golden-feathered scattered on every side,

6.92.63 with many chariots broken, garlanded with nets of little bells, and with slain horses strewn about, their tongues lolling out, smeared with blood,

6.92.64 with chariot-poles, pennons, quivers, and banners, and with the great white conches of the foremost warriors scattered abroad,

6.92.65 and with elephants lying with trunks drooping, the earth shone, decked with ornaments of every shape, like a lovely woman richly adorned.

6.92.66 With other tusked elephants there, pierced by spears and in sore anguish, sending forth cries with their trunks and again and again a spray of foam, that field of battle gleamed as though with mountains being blown upon.

6.92.67 With blankets and housings of many hues belonging to the elephants, and with fair goads fallen, their shafts set with beryl gems,

6.92.68 with the bells of the lordly elephants fallen on every side, and with their gay caparisons torn apart, and with rugs of antelope-hide,

6.92.69 with neck-bands of curious make and golden girths, and with engines hacked to pieces, and with lances and javelins,

6.92.70 with the breastplates of horses, dust-grey and overlaid with gold, and with the hewn-off arms of riders fallen down, still bearing their armlets,

6.92.71 with javelins bright and keen, and with shining darts as well, and with turbans cut off and flung here and there,

6.92.72 with gaudy crescent-headed shafts adorned with gold, and with horse-cloths and coverlets of antelope-hide trodden underfoot,

6.92.73 with the crest-jewels of kings, curious and of great worth, and with parasols flung aside, and with yak-tail fans,

6.92.74 and with the faces of heroes bright as the lotus and the moon, with lovely earrings and trimmed beards, exceedingly adorned,

6.92.75 flung down, O great king, with earrings glittering with gold — the earth became like the sky dappled with planets and stars.

6.92.76 Thus, O Bhārata, were those two great hosts ground down there, yours and theirs, when they had closed with one another in the fight.

6.92.77 And when those men were weary, broken, and worn down, O Bhārata, dread night came on, and we could no longer see the battle.

6.92.78 Then the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas drew off their armies, while the dread and dire onset of night, fearful to behold, came on.

6.92.79 Having thus withdrawn, the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas together, going each to his own camp, settled down as the hour required.

6.93.1 Saṃjaya said: Then King Duryodhana, and Śakuni the son of Subala, and your son Duḥśāsana, and the invincible son of the charioteer —

6.93.2 having come together, O great king, took counsel on what they wished to say: how the sons of Pāṇḍu, with their hosts, were to be vanquished in war.

6.93.3 Then King Duryodhana addressed all those counsellors, speaking to the son of the charioteer and to the mighty son of Subala.

6.93.4 "Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Śalya, and the son of Somadatta do not press the Pārthas hard in battle — and I do not know the reason for it.

6.93.5 Unslain themselves, the Pāṇḍavas waste away my force; and so, Karṇa, my strength is dwindling and my weapons are spent in the fight.

6.93.6 Worsted by the heroic Pāṇḍavas, who cannot be slain even by the gods, I am fallen into doubt: how shall I carry on the war?"

6.93.7 To him, O great king, the son of the charioteer answered the lord of men: "Grieve not, O best of the Bhāratas; I shall do what pleases you.

6.93.8 Let Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, withdraw at once from the great battle; and once the son of Gaṅgā has retired from the fight and laid down his arms, O Bhārata,

6.93.9 I shall slay the Pārthas with all their kin and all the Somakas, before the very eyes of Bhīṣma in battle — this I swear to you by my truth, O king.

6.93.10 Bhīṣma, O king, ever shows compassion toward the Pāṇḍavas; and Bhīṣma is unable to conquer these great chariot-warriors in battle.

6.93.11 Bhīṣma is proud in war and ever loves the fray; how then, dear lord, shall he conquer the Pāṇḍavas when they stand arrayed in battle?

6.93.12 Do you, then, go swiftly hence to the camp of Bhīṣma, and having won his leave from the battle, make him lay down his arms, O Bhārata.

6.93.13 When Bhīṣma has laid down his arms, then behold the Pāṇḍavas slain — by me alone in battle, O king, with all their friends, their hosts, and their kinsmen."

6.93.14 Thus addressed by Karṇa, your son Duryodhana spoke this word there to his brother Duḥśāsana:

6.93.15 "See, Duḥśāsana, that all the retinue is made ready on every side; quickly arrange the whole of it."

6.93.16 Having spoken thus, O king, the lord of men said to Karṇa: "When I have won leave of Bhīṣma in the battle, that best of men,

6.93.17 I shall then come quickly to your side, O subduer of foes; and then, O tiger among men, you shall wage the war."

6.93.18 Then your son set forth at once, O lord of peoples, together with all his brothers, like Indra of the hundred sacrifices amid the gods.

6.93.19 Then his brother Duḥśāsana swiftly mounted that tiger among kings, whose valour matched a tiger's, upon his horse.

6.93.20 Wearing armlets, with crown bound on and bracelets upon his arms, the king, the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, shone, O great king, like the great Indra.

6.93.21 Anointed with sandal-paste, fragrant and of priceless worth, glowing like the bhāṇḍī blossom and resembling refined gold,

6.93.22 clad in spotless raiment, moving with the sportive gait of a lion, the king shone bright and radiant, like the sun in autumn.

6.93.23 As that tiger among men went forth toward the camp of Bhīṣma, the mighty archers, the bowmen of all the world, followed him, and his brothers, great archers all, as the gods follow Vāsava.

6.93.24 Some mounted on horses, some on elephants, O Bhārata, and others, those best of men, on chariots, surrounded him on every side.

6.93.25 And his friends, weapons in hand, gathered together to guard the lord of earth, even as the immortals gather about Śakra in heaven.

6.93.26 Honoured by the Kurus, that great chariot-warrior of the Kauravas went on, O king, to the tent of the renowned son of Gaṅgā, the king followed all about by his brothers together.

6.93.27 That dexterous prince, raising at the fitting moment his own right arm — well-trained, like the trunk of an elephant, the crusher of every foe —

6.93.28 received the folded palms of men raised toward him from every quarter, and heard the sweet words of those who dwelt in diverse lands.

6.93.29 Praised by bards and minstrels, that man of great renown, lord over all the lords of the world, in turn paid honour to them all.

6.93.30 With golden lamps there, fed with fragrant oil and blazing on every side, they surrounded that high-souled one.

6.93.31 Encircled by those fair golden lamps, the king shone like the moon attended by the blazing great planets.

6.93.32 There the ushers in tunics and turbans, with staves and rattles in their hands, gently moved the throng aside on every quarter.

6.93.33 Then, having reached the fair dwelling of Bhīṣma, the king, that lord of men, alighted from his horse and came before Bhīṣma.

6.93.34 Having saluted Bhīṣma, he sat down upon an excellent seat, golden, fair on every side, spread with a priceless covering, and with folded palms, his throat choked with sobs and his eyes brimming with tears, he said to Bhīṣma:

6.93.35 "Relying upon you in the fray, O slayer of foes, we should dare to conquer in battle even the gods and demons together with Indra —

6.93.36 how much more the heroic sons of Pāṇḍu, with their friends, their hosts, and their kinsmen! Therefore, O son of Gaṅgā, you should show me your grace, O lord: slay the heroic sons of Pāṇḍu as the great Indra slew the Dānavas.

6.93.37 You said before, O mighty-armed one: 'I shall slay the Somakas and the Pāñcālas, together with the Pāṇḍavas and the Karūṣas,' so you spoke, O Bhārata.

6.93.38 Let that word of yours be made true: slay the Pārthas arrayed against us and the Somakas, those mighty archers — be true to your word, O Bhārata.

6.93.39 But if out of compassion, O king, or out of hatred toward me, my lord, or because of my own ill fortune, you spare the Pāṇḍavas,

6.93.40 then give leave in the battle to Karṇa, who is glorious in war; he will conquer in the fight the Pārthas with their friends, their hosts, and their kinsmen."

6.93.41 Having said only this much, the king, your son Duryodhana, spoke no further word to Bhīṣma of terrible prowess.

6.94.1 Saṃjaya said: Though pierced through by your son with those shafts of speech, the grandsire, filled with a great grief, yet spoke not even a trifle that was unkind.

6.94.2 For a long while he brooded, filled with grief and wrath, sighing like a serpent goaded with a pointed rod.

6.94.3 Rolling his eyes in anger, as if to burn up the world with its gods, demons, and gandharvas, O Bhārata, that best of those who know the worlds spoke this word to your son, beginning gently:

6.94.4 "Why, Duryodhana, do you thus pierce me with shafts of speech, when I am striving to the best of my power and doing what pleases you, offering up my very life in battle out of desire for your good?

6.94.5 When the heroic Pāṇḍava, at the Khāṇḍava forest, sated the fire, having vanquished Śakra in battle — that should be proof enough.

6.94.6 And when you, O mighty-armed one, were carried off by the gandharvas by force, the son of Pāṇḍu set you free — that should be proof enough.

6.94.7 When the heroes fled — your own brothers, O lord, and the son of the charioteer, Rādheya, with them — that should be proof enough.

6.94.8 And when, in the city of Virāṭa, against us all gathered together he rose up single-handed — that should be proof enough.

6.94.9 Having overpowered in that battle Droṇa enraged in the fight, and me, and Karṇa, and you, and the son of Droṇa, and Kṛpa, that mighty chariot-warrior, he carried off our garments — that should be proof enough.

6.94.10 The Nivātakavacas, hard to conquer in battle even by Vāsava, the Pārtha vanquished in the fray — that should be proof enough.

6.94.11 For who is able to conquer in battle that Pāṇḍava, impetuous in war? But you, in your delusion, do not know, Suyodhana, what should and should not be said."

6.94.12 For a man about to die sees all the trees as turned to gold; even so do you, O son of Gāndhārī, behold all things inverted.

6.94.13 Having yourself kindled this great enmity with the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas, fight them now in battle. Let us watch—be a man!

6.94.14 As for me, O tiger among men, I shall slay all the Somakas and the Pāñcālas who are gathered here, sparing only Śikhaṇḍin.

6.94.15 Either slain by them in battle I shall go to the abode of Yama, or, having slain them in the fray, I shall give you joy.

6.94.16 For Śikhaṇḍin was born a woman at first within the royal house; by the boon she became a man—yet she is still that woman, Śikhaṇḍinī.

6.94.17 Her I shall not slay, O Bhārata, even at the cost of my own life; she whom the Creator first fashioned thus is verily that woman, Śikhaṇḍinī.

6.94.18 Sleep at ease, O son of Gāndhārī; tomorrow I shall wage such a great battle as men will recount for as long as the earth endures.

6.94.19 Thus addressed, O lord of men, your son departed; bowing his head in reverence to the elder, he went away to his own dwelling.

6.94.20 Having come there, the king dismissed the great throng, and that bringer of doom to his foes swiftly entered his lodging; and so entered, the prince passed that night away.

6.95.1 Saṃjaya said: When the night had brightened into dawn, the king rose at morning and commanded the kings, "Array the army! Today Bhīṣma, wrathful in battle, shall slay the Somakas."

6.95.2 Bhīṣma, hearing all of Duryodhana's lament uttered in the night, O king, regarded it as a rebuke directed against himself.

6.95.3 Falling into utter despondency, censuring the slander of others, the son of Śaṃtanu brooded long, eager to do battle with Arjuna in the field.

6.95.4 Discerning by signs what the son of Gaṅgā was pondering, Duryodhana, O great king, urged on Duḥśāsana.

6.95.5 "Duḥśāsana, let the chariots that guard Bhīṣma be yoked at once, and urge forward all the two-and-thirty divisions."

6.95.6 "For now is at hand that which we have pondered through many years: the slaughter of the Pāṇḍavas with their hosts, and the winning of the kingdom."

6.95.7 "In this I deem the protection of Bhīṣma to be the chief task; guarded by us he would bring us comfort, and would slay the sons of Pṛthā in the fray."

6.95.8 "And that pure-souled one declared, 'I will not slay Śikhaṇḍin, for he was born a woman before; therefore he must be spared by me in battle.'"

6.95.9 "'The world knows this—that I, O mighty-armed one, to do my father's pleasure, of old renounced a flourishing kingdom and the company of women.'"

6.95.10 "'Never in any wise would I slay a woman, nor one who was a woman before, in battle, O best of men; this truth I tell you.'"

6.95.11 "'This Śikhaṇḍin, O king, was a woman before, if you have heard the tale told in the Udyoga—even so was Śikhaṇḍinī born.'"

6.95.12 "'Having been a maiden, she was born a man, and he shall fight, O Bhārata; yet against his face I would in no way loose my arrows.'"

6.95.13 "'But all the other Kṣatriyas, dear one, who seek the Pāṇḍavas' victory and come within range of my arrows, I shall slay in battle.'"

6.95.14 "Thus did the son of Gaṅgā, best of the Bhāratas, knower of the scriptures, speak to me; therefore I deem the guarding of Bhīṣma to be our whole concern."

6.95.15 "For a wolf, if the lion be left unguarded, might slay the lion in the great forest; let us not, as it were by a wolf, let the tiger be slain by Śikhaṇḍin."

6.95.16 "Let my uncle Śakuni, and Śalya, Kṛpa, Droṇa, and Viviṃśati, vigilant, guard the son of Gaṅgā; when he is protected, victory is sure."

6.95.17 Hearing this speech of Duryodhana, the kings then surrounded the son of Gaṅgā on every side with a host of chariots.

6.95.18 And your sons, encircling the son of Gaṅgā, advanced with joy, making the earth and sky to tremble and throwing the Pāṇḍavas into confusion.

6.95.19 With those well-yoked chariots and with elephants, the great warriors, mailed for battle, encircled Bhīṣma and took their stand.

6.95.20 As in the war of gods and demons the thirty surrounded the Wielder of the Thunderbolt, so did they all stand guarding that mighty warrior.

6.95.21 Then king Duryodhana spoke again to his brother: "Yudhāmanyu guards Arjuna's left wheel and Uttamaujas his right; these two are Arjuna's protectors, and Arjuna in turn is Śikhaṇḍin's."

6.95.22 "Though guarded by Pārtha and thus shunned by us, see to it, O Duḥśāsana, that he—Śikhaṇḍin—does not slay our Bhīṣma."

6.95.23 Hearing his brother's words, your son Duḥśāsana, placing Bhīṣma at the forefront, advanced together with the army.

6.95.24 But Arjuna, foremost of chariot-warriors, seeing Bhīṣma there encircled by that host of chariots, spoke thus to Dhṛṣṭadyumna:

6.95.25 "O tiger among men, O sinless prince of the Pāñcālas, station Śikhaṇḍin this day at the very front, facing Bhīṣma; and I shall be his guardian."

6.95.26 Then Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, sallied forth with the army, and arrayed for the battle a great formation, the Sarvatobhadra, facing on every side.

6.95.27 Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman, and the great warrior of the Śaibyas, Śakuni and the lord of the Sindhus, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja—

6.95.28 all these, together with Bhīṣma and your sons, O Bhārata, took their stand in front of all the troops, at the head of the formation.

6.95.29 Droṇa, Bhūriśravas, Śalya, and Bhagadatta, O venerable one, mailed for war, took post upon the right wing of the formation.

6.95.30 Aśvatthāman, Somadatta, and the two great warriors of Avanti, joined by a mighty host, held the left wing.

6.95.31 Duryodhana, O great king, surrounded on all sides by the Trigartas, stood in the midst of the formation, facing the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.

6.95.32 Alambusa, foremost of chariot-warriors, and the great warrior Śrutāyus, both clad in mail, took their stand at the rear of all the troops, behind the formation.

6.95.33 Having thus drawn up their array, O Bhārata, your warriors, fully armed, appeared like blazing fires.

6.95.34 In like manner king Yudhiṣṭhira and the Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena, and Nakula and Sahadeva, the two sons of Mādrī, mailed for war, took their stand in front of all the troops, at the head of the formation.

6.95.35 Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Virāṭa, and the great warrior Sātyaki, destroyers of the enemy's ranks, stood with a mighty host.

6.95.36 Śikhaṇḍin and Vijaya, and the Rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, the mighty-armed Cekitāna and the valiant Kuntibhoja, took their stand in the battle, O great king, encompassed by a mighty host.

6.95.37 Abhimanyu the great archer, and the mighty warrior Drupada, and the five Kekaya brothers, stood arrayed in mail for battle.

6.95.38 Thus too did the heroic Pāṇḍavas, having drawn up against them their great and well-nigh invincible array, stand ready for battle, O venerable one.

6.95.39 And your kings, vigilant in the field, together with their hosts, advanced against the sons of Pṛthā in battle, placing Bhīṣma at their head, O king.

6.95.40 In like manner the Pāṇḍavas, O king, with Bhīmasena at their front, eager for victory in the fray, advanced against Bhīṣma, who longed to do battle.

6.95.41 Sounding their war-cries and shrill clamors, their krakacas and cow-horns, their kettledrums, tabors, and tom-toms, and their drum-faces, the Pāṇḍavas rushed forward, raising terrible roars.

6.95.42 With the din of kettledrums, tabors, conches, and great war-drums, with lion-roars raised on high and prancings of many kinds—

6.95.43 we, answering them with our own clamor, advanced upon them in haste, all at once and full of wrath; and there arose a great tumult.

6.95.44 Then, rushing upon one another, they fell to the clash of arms; and at that mighty roar the earth trembled.

6.95.45 The birds wheeled about, crying out most dreadfully; and the sun, though risen in splendor, grew dim of light.

6.95.46 Tumultuous winds blew, foretelling some most terrible fear; and there the jackals, dread and dread-howling, set up their cries, O great king, announcing that a great carnage was come.

6.95.47 The quarters of the sky blazed forth, O king, and a rain of dust fell down, and likewise a rain of bones mingled with blood.

6.95.48 From the eyes of the weeping beasts of burden water fell, and they let flow their dung and urine, sunk in brooding, O lord of peoples.

6.95.49 Unseen, O bull of the Bhāratas, mighty cries were heard—the terrible roars of man-devouring Rākṣasas as they bellowed.

6.95.50 Jackals, herons, and crows were seen flocking together; and dogs, barking with cries of many sorts, stood there about.

6.95.51 And great blazing meteors, striking against the sun, fell suddenly upon the earth, announcing some great terror.

6.95.52 At that great uprising, in the meeting of the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the mighty armies shone forth with the blare of conches and tabors, like forests set atremble by the wind.

6.95.53 In that ill-boding hour, as the hosts—thronged with kings, elephants, and horses—came on, there arose a tumultuous roar of the armies, like that of oceans uplifted by the wind.

6.96.1 Saṃjaya said: Abhimanyu, splendid upon his chariot, with his excellent tawny steeds, that fiery one, charged against the great host of Duryodhana, scattering showers of arrows as a raincloud scatters torrents of water.

6.96.2 Your warriors, the bulls among the Kurus, could not even check in the battle the wrathful son of Subhadrā, that slayer of foes, as with his flood of weapons he plunged into the unfathomable ocean of the army.

6.96.3 The shafts loosed by him in the battle, O king, crushers of foes, led heroic Kṣatriyas to the dwelling of the king of the dead.

6.96.4 Arrows dreadful as the rod of Yama, like blazing venomous serpents, did the son of Subhadrā, wrathful in the fray, send forth.

6.96.5 The chariot-warrior from his car, the horseman from his horse's back, and the elephant-riders together with their elephants—all these did the son of Phalguna swiftly bring down.

6.96.6 As he wrought that great and wondrous deed in battle, the kings, rejoicing, did him honor and extolled the son of Phalguna.

6.96.7 Routing those ranks, the son of Subhadrā shone exceedingly, like the wind that scatters a heap of cotton in every direction.

6.96.8 Driven in rout by him, your troops, O Bhārata, found no protector, like elephants sunk fast in the mire.

6.96.9 Having routed all your troops, that best of men, Abhimanyu, stood, O king, blazing like a smokeless fire.

6.96.10 And all your warriors could no more endure that slayer of foes than moths, driven by their doom, can endure a blazing fire.

6.96.11 Striking down all his foes, that great archer and mighty warrior of the Pāṇḍavas appeared like the Thunderbolt-bearer with his thunderbolt in hand.

6.96.12 His gold-backed bow was seen, as he ranged through the quarters, gleaming like flashes of lightning amid the rainclouds, O king.

6.96.13 And his sharp, keen-whetted shafts darted forth in the battle, O king, like swarms of bees from a forest of trees in full bloom.

6.96.14 As that high-souled son of Subhadrā ranged about thus, upon his thunder-roaring chariot, men could discern no interval in his action.

6.96.15 Bewildering Kṛpa and Droṇa, and Droṇa's son, and Bṛhadbala, and the great archer who was lord of the Sindhus, he ranged about lightly and well.

6.96.16 We beheld his bow drawn ever into a circle, O venerable one, resembling the orb of the sun, as he scorched your host.

6.96.17 Beholding him scorching all with the flames of his arrows, the heroic Kṣatriyas, from his deeds, deemed this world to have two Phalgunas.

6.96.18 Tormented by him, O great king, that great army of the Bhāratas reeled this way and that, like a woman in the grip of drink.

6.96.19 Having routed that army and shaken its great chariot-warriors, he gladdened his friends, as Vāsava once did when he conquered Maya.

6.96.20 Driven before him in the battle, your forces raised a dreadful cry of anguish, like the roar of a thundercloud.

6.96.21 Hearing that terrible uproar of your army, my lord — like the sea swollen by the wind's force at the time of the full moon — King Duryodhana then spoke to the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga.

6.96.22 This son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, a mighty archer, a second Phalguna as it were, routs our host in his fury, as Vṛtra once routed the army of the gods.

6.96.23 I see no other great remedy for him in this battle save you, O best of rākṣasas, master of all the arts.

6.96.24 Go swiftly, then, and slay this hero, the son of Subhadrā, in the fray; and we, with Bhīṣma and Droṇa at our head, shall destroy the Pārthas.

6.96.25 Thus addressed, that mighty and majestic lord of the rākṣasas advanced swiftly into the fight at your son's command, roaring a great roar like a stormcloud in the rains.

6.96.26 At his mighty cry, O king, the great host of the Pāṇḍavas was set trembling on every side, like the ocean swelling to the full.

6.96.27 And many men, O king, terrified by that roar, gave up their dear lives and fell to the ground.

6.96.28 And the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, filled with joy, his bow grasped tight, as though dancing upon his chariot-platform, rushed upon that rākṣasa.

6.96.29 Then that enraged rākṣasa, on reaching the son of Arjuna in the battle and taking his stand not far from him, set his host to flight.

6.96.30 That great host of the Pāṇḍavas, slaughtered in the battle, advanced against the rākṣasa in the fray, as the army of the gods once marched against Bali.

6.96.31 A great carnage befell that army, my lord, as it was slaughtered in the battle by the rākṣasa of dreadful form.

6.96.32 Then with thousands of shafts the rākṣasa routed that great host of the Pāṇḍavas in the battle, displaying his prowess.

6.96.33 And so the army of the Pāṇḍavas, slaughtered by the rākṣasa of dreadful form, fled the battle in fear.

6.96.34 Having crushed that army, as an elephant crushes a bed of lotuses, he then rushed in the battle upon the mighty sons of Draupadī.

6.96.35 But those sons of Draupadī, enraged, mighty archers and fierce strikers, all charged the rākṣasa, as the five planets bear down upon the sun.

6.96.36 Hard-pressed by those valiant warriors, that best of rākṣasas was like the moon beset by five planets at the dread ending of an age.

6.96.37 Then the mighty Prativindhya swiftly pierced the rākṣasa with whetted arrows, all of iron and unblunted at the point.

6.96.38 His armor cleft by these, that best of rākṣasas shone splendid, like a great cloud shot through with the rays of the sun.

6.96.39 With the gold-shafted arrows clinging to him, the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga shone, O king, like a mountain with blazing peaks.

6.96.40 Then those five brothers pierced the lord of the rākṣasas in that great fray with whetted arrows adorned with gold.

6.96.41 Pierced by those dreadful arrows, as if by enraged serpents, Alambusa, O king, grew fiercely wrathful, like a king of elephants.

6.96.42 Sorely pierced, O great king, and hard-pressed by those great chariot-warriors, for a moment, my lord, he sank into a long darkness.

6.96.43 Then, regaining his senses and redoubled in his fury, he cut down with his arrows their banners and their bows.

6.96.44 And smiling, as it were, Alambusa, that great chariot-warrior, struck each of them with three arrows, as though dancing upon his chariot-platform.

6.96.45 And in haste and full of wrath, the mighty rākṣasa, enraged, slew the horses of those great-souled warriors and their charioteers as well.

6.96.46 And exulting greatly, he pierced them again with well-whetted arrows of many shapes, by hundreds and by thousands.

6.96.47 Having stripped those mighty archers of their chariots, the rākṣasa, that ranger of the night, rushed upon them with speed, eager to slay.

6.96.48 Seeing them tormented in the battle by that evil-souled rākṣasa, the son of Arjuna rushed upon the rākṣasa in the fray.

6.96.49 Between the two there arose a combat like that of Vṛtra and Vāsava; and all your men and all the Pāṇḍava chariot-warriors looked on.

6.96.50 Those two, met in the great combat and blazing with wrath against each other, mighty warriors both, O great king, with eyes red with rage, eyed one another in the fight, like the very fire that ends an age.

6.96.51 Dreadful and bitter in its outcome was the encounter between the two, as in the war of gods and asuras was that of Śakra and Śambara.

6.97.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How, O Saṃjaya, did Alambusa give battle to the valiant son of Arjuna, that great chariot-warrior, as he was striking down our men in the combat?

6.97.2 And how did the son of Subhadrā, slayer of enemy heroes, fight the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga? Tell me truly all that befell in the battle.

6.97.3 And what did Dhanaṃjaya do among my forces, O Saṃjaya, or Bhīma, best of the strong, or the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca?

6.97.4 Or Nakula, or Sahadeva, or the great chariot-warrior Sātyaki? Tell me all this, for you are skilled in the telling, O Saṃjaya.

6.97.5 Saṃjaya said: Come then, I shall recount to you that hair-raising combat, my lord, even as it passed between the lord of rākṣasas and the son of Subhadrā.

6.97.6 And how Arjuna in the fray, and Bhīmasena the Pāṇḍava, and Nakula and Sahadeva, displayed their prowess in the battle.

6.97.7 And likewise how all your men, with Bhīṣma and Droṇa at their head, performed wondrous and varied feats without fear.

6.97.8 Now Alambusa, in the battle, roaring a mighty roar and threatening Abhimanyu, that great chariot-warrior, again and again, rushed upon him with speed and cried out, 'Stand, stand!'

6.97.9 And the son of Subhadrā too, O king, roaring again and again like a lion in the battle, faced the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, that mighty archer, the bitter foe of his father.

6.97.10 Then the man and the rākṣasa, those two foremost of chariot-warriors, met swiftly in the fray upon their cars, like a god and a dānava — the best of rākṣasas, master of illusion, and the son of Phalguna, knower of celestial weapons.

6.97.11 Then the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, O great king, having pierced the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga with three whetted shafts in the battle, struck him again with five.

6.97.12 And Alambusa too, full of wrath, swiftly pierced the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister in the breast with nine swift arrows, as one goads a great elephant with hooks.

6.97.13 Then, swift in action, that ranger of the night tormented the son of Arjuna in the combat with a thousand shafts, O descendant of Bharata.

6.97.14 Then Abhimanyu, enraged, loosed ninety whetted arrows with smooth-bent joints into the broad chest of the rākṣasa.

6.97.15 Swiftly they entered his body, piercing it to the vital parts; and with all his limbs thus pierced, that best of rākṣasas shone, O king, like a mountain strewn with kiṃśuka trees in bloom.

6.97.16 Bearing those gold-feathered arrows, that mighty best of rākṣasas blazed forth like a mountain wreathed in flame.

6.97.17 Then, enraged, O great king, the mighty son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga covered the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, who was the equal of great Indra, with feathered shafts.

6.97.18 The keen arrows loosed by him, like the rod of Yama, pierced clean through Abhimanyu and entered the surface of the earth.

6.97.19 And likewise the gold-adorned arrows loosed by the son of Arjuna pierced clean through Alambusa and entered the surface of the earth.

6.97.20 But the son of Subhadrā, closing with the rākṣasa in the battle, with smooth-jointed arrows turned him from the fight, as Śakra once turned Maya in combat.

6.97.21 And the rākṣasa, turned from the fight and slaughtered in the battle by his foe — that scorcher of enemies — then conjured up a great illusion of darkness.

6.97.22 Then all upon that field were swallowed up in the darkness; they could see neither Abhimanyu, nor their own, nor the enemy in the battle.

6.97.23 And Abhimanyu, beholding that vast and dreadful darkness, that joy of the Kurus brought forth the most terrible weapon of the sun.

6.97.24 Then all the world grew bright, O lord of the earth, and he destroyed that illusion of the evil-souled rākṣasa.

6.97.25 And full of wrath, that best of men of mighty valor covered the lord of the rākṣasas in the battle with smooth-jointed arrows.

6.97.26 And many other illusions wrought by that rākṣasa the son of Phalguna, knower of all weapons and of measureless spirit, turned aside.

6.97.27 Then the rākṣasa, his illusions undone and himself smitten with arrows, abandoned his chariot on the very spot and fled in great fear.

6.97.28 When that rākṣasa, that fighter by trickery, had been swiftly vanquished, the son of Arjuna crushed your army in the battle, as a wild king of elephants, blind with rut, crushes a lotus-pond together with its lotuses.

6.97.29 Then Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, seeing the army routed, surrounded the son of Subhadrā with a great array of chariots.

6.97.30 Penning in that hero, the great chariot-warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's party, many against one, hewed at him hard with their arrows in the fight.

6.97.31 Yet that hero among the chariot-warriors, equal in prowess to his father, was the peer of Vāsudeva in valor and in might.

6.97.32 Deeds worthy of both his father and his maternal uncle, in many forms, did he perform in the battle, that best of all who bear arms.

6.97.33 Then Dhanaṃjaya, O king, striking down your warriors, came upon Bhīṣma in the battle, unable to bear it and longing to reach his son.

6.97.34 And likewise in the battle, O king, your father Devavrata came upon Pārtha in the fray, as Svarbhānu comes upon the sun.

6.97.35 Then your sons, O lord of peoples, with their chariots, elephants, and horses, surrounded Bhīṣma in the battle and guarded him on every side.

6.97.36 And likewise the Pāṇḍavas, O king, surrounding Dhanaṃjaya, stood armored and arrayed for the great battle, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.97.37 Then the son of Śaradvat, O king, covered Arjuna, who stood facing Bhīṣma, with five and twenty arrows.

6.97.38 Coming up against him, Sātyaki pierced him with keen arrows, for the sake of pleasing the Pāṇḍavas, as a tiger falls upon an elephant.

6.97.39 And the son of Gautama too, in haste and full of wrath, pierced the Mādhava in the breast with nine arrows fledged with heron feathers.

6.97.40 Then the grandson of Śini, that great chariot-warrior, sorely pierced and enraged, took up a dreadful arrow meant to make an end of Gautama's son.

6.97.41 As it sped toward him, gleaming like the thunderbolt of Śakra, the son of Droṇa, exceedingly wrathful, cut it in two.

6.97.42 Then the grandson of Śini, leaving the son of Gautama, that best of chariot-warriors, rushed upon the son of Droṇa in the battle, as Rāhu rushes upon the moon in the sky.

6.97.43 The son of Droṇa cut his bow in two, O descendant of Bharata, and then, his bow severed, struck him with arrows.

6.97.44 Taking up another bow, foe-slaying and equal to its burden, he struck the son of Droṇa, O great king, with sixty shafts upon the arms and breast.

6.97.45 Pierced and shaken, and for a moment overcome with faintness, he sank down upon his chariot-platform, leaning against the staff of his banner.

6.97.46 Then, regaining his senses, the majestic son of Droṇa, full of wrath, smote the descendant of the Vṛṣṇis in the battle with an iron shaft.

6.97.47 Piercing clean through the grandson of Śini, it entered the surface of the earth, as a young serpent in the springtime enters strongly into its hole.

6.97.48 Then with another broad-headed shaft the son of Droṇa cut down Mādhava's lofty banner in the battle, and roared aloud the lion's roar.

6.97.49 And once more, O Bhārata, he covered him over with dreadful arrows, as at the end of the hot season a cloud veils the sun, O great king.

6.97.50 But Sātyaki, O great king, struck down that net of arrows and swiftly fell upon the son of Droṇa with manifold nets of arrows in turn.

6.97.51 And Śaineya, slayer of enemy heroes, scorched the son of Droṇa as the sun scorches when freed from a covering mass of clouds.

6.97.52 And as he rose up again, the mighty Sātyaki covered him over with a thousand arrows, and let forth a roar.

6.97.53 Seeing his son thus seized, as the moon is seized by Rāhu, the valiant son of Bharadvāja rushed against Śaineya.

6.97.54 And in that great fray he pierced him with a keenly sharpened shaft, longing, O king, to rescue his own son who was being scorched by the Vārṣṇeya.

6.97.55 But Sātyaki, having vanquished in battle the preceptor's son, that great car-warrior, pierced Droṇa with twenty arrows all made wholly of iron.

6.97.56 In that interval the son of Kuntī of immeasurable spirit, he of the white steeds, that great car-warrior, rushed in fury against Droṇa in the battle.

6.97.57 Then Droṇa and Pārtha closed together in the great fray, even as Budha and Śukra meet, O great king, in the vault of heaven.

6.98.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How did Droṇa the mighty archer and the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya, those two heroes, encounter each other in battle? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.98.2 For the Pāṇḍava is ever dear to the wise son of Bharadvāja, and the preceptor too is ever dear to Pārtha in battle, Saṃjaya.

6.98.3 Those two car-warriors, fierce in the field like two haughty lions—how did the son of Bharadvāja and Dhanaṃjaya come together in the fight?

6.98.4 Saṃjaya said: In battle Droṇa did not regard Pārtha as one dear to himself, nor did Pārtha so regard his teacher in the fray, each setting the warrior's duty foremost.

6.98.5 Warriors, O king, do not spare one another in battle; they fight without restraint even against fathers and brothers.

6.98.6 In the battle, O Bhārata, Droṇa was pierced by Pārtha with three arrows, yet he gave no thought to those shafts loosed from Pārtha's bow in the fight.

6.98.7 Again Pārtha covered him over with a rain of arrows in the battle, and Droṇa blazed up with wrath like a fire risen in a thicket.

6.98.8 Thereupon, O lord of kings, Droṇa checked Arjuna in the battle with smooth-jointed arrows, and that almost at once, O Bhārata.

6.98.9 Then King Duryodhana urged on Suśarman, O king, that he might guard Droṇa's rear in the battle.

6.98.10 And the king of the Trigartas in wrath, drawing his bow hard, covered Pārtha over in the battle with iron-faced arrows.

6.98.11 The arrows loosed by those two, O king, shone in the mid-air like wild geese, O great king, in the autumn sky.

6.98.12 Reaching the son of Kuntī, those arrows all entered him, O lord, as birds settle upon a sweet-fruited tree bowed down with the weight of its fruit.

6.98.13 But Arjuna, foremost of car-warriors, raising a war-cry in the battle, pierced the king of the Trigartas together with his sons with his arrows.

6.98.14 Smitten by Pārtha as if by Time at the dissolution of an age, and resolved upon death, they turned upon Pārtha himself and loosed a rain of arrows against the Pāṇḍava's chariot.

6.98.15 That rain of arrows the Pāṇḍava then received with a downpour of his own arrows, O lord of kings, as a mountain receives a downpour of water.

6.98.16 There we beheld a marvel, the lightness of Bībhatsu's hand, as he met that irresistible rain of weapons loosed by many heroes.

6.98.17 For alone he warded it off, as the wind scatters the masses of clouds; at that feat of Pārtha the gods and dānavas rejoiced.

6.98.18 Then in wrath, O Bhārata, Pārtha loosed against the Trigartas in the battle the Vāyavya weapon, O great king, at the head of the host.

6.98.19 Thereupon a wind arose, churning the vault of heaven, felling clusters of trees and smiting down the soldiers.

6.98.20 Then Droṇa, on beholding that most dreadful weapon of Vāyu, loosed in answer another terrible weapon, the weapon of the mountain, O great king.

6.98.21 When that weapon had been loosed by Droṇa in the great fray, the wind was stilled, and the quarters of the sky grew clear.

6.98.22 Then the heroic son of Pāṇḍu made the ranks of the Trigarta cars dispirited in the battle, turned away in flight and stripped of their valor.

6.98.23 Then King Duryodhana, and Kṛpa the foremost of car-warriors, and Aśvatthāman, and Śalya, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja,

6.98.24 and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Bāhlika with his Bāhlika host, blocked off the quarters around Pārtha with a great array of chariots.

6.98.25 In the same way Bhagadatta and the mighty Śrutāyus, those two, with their host of elephants blocked off the quarters around Bhīma.

6.98.26 Bhūriśravas and Śala, and the son of Subala, O lord of peoples, swiftly hemmed in the two sons of Mādrī with manifold floods of arrows.

6.98.27 But Bhīṣma, joined by all the soldiers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, closed in upon Yudhiṣṭhira and surrounded him on every side.

6.98.28 Seeing the host of elephants bearing down upon him, the heroic Vṛkodara, son of Pṛthā, licked the corners of his mouth like the king of beasts in the forest.

6.98.29 Then that foremost of car-warriors, taking up his mace in the great battle, leaped down swiftly from his chariot and struck terror into your army.

6.98.30 Beholding him mace in hand, those elephant-riders, intent on the fight, surrounded Bhīmasena on every side in the battle.

6.98.31 And the Pāṇḍava, come into the midst of the elephants, shone forth like the sun set in the midst of a great mass of clouds.

6.98.32 That bull among the Pāṇḍavas scattered the host of elephants with his mace, as the wind scatters a vast unbroken expanse of mighty clouds.

6.98.33 Those tusked beasts, slaughtered by the mighty Bhīmasena, raised cries of anguish in the battle, roaring like rain-clouds.

6.98.34 Gashed in many places there by the tusks of the elephants, the son of Pṛthā, resembling a blossoming aśoka tree, shone splendid at the head of the battle.

6.98.35 Seizing a tusker by the tusk, he wrenched that tusk away, and with that very tusk smiting the elephant upon its frontal globe, he struck it down in the battle like Death wielding his rod.

6.98.36 Bearing his blood-smeared mace, his hue made of fat and marrow, with armlets fashioned of gore, he appeared like Rudra to behold.

6.98.37 Thus slaughtered, the great elephants that survived the slaughter fled in all directions, O king, trampling their own forces underfoot.

6.98.38 By those great elephants fleeing on every side, O bull of the Bhāratas, the whole army of Duryodhana was once again turned to flight.

6.99.1 Saṃjaya said: At midday, O great king, there arose a fierce battle, destroyer of the world, between Bhīṣma and the Somakas.

6.99.2 The son of Gaṅgā, foremost of car-warriors, scattered the host of the Pāṇḍavas with his whetted arrows by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.99.3 And your father Devavrata crushed that army as herds of cattle crush a heap of reaped grain.

6.99.4 Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍin, and Virāṭa and Drupada, closing with Bhīṣma in the battle, smote that great car-warrior with their arrows.

6.99.5 Then, having pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Virāṭa with three arrows, he sped an iron shaft at Drupada, O Bhārata.

6.99.6 Pierced by Bhīṣma, the tormentor of foes, those mighty archers blazed with wrath in the battle, O king, like serpents trodden underfoot.

6.99.7 Śikhaṇḍin pierced that grandsire of the Bhāratas; but the steadfast one, reflecting in his mind that this was one born of woman, struck no blow against him.

6.99.8 But Dhṛṣṭadyumna, blazing like fire with wrath in the battle, planted three arrows in the grandsire's arms and breast.

6.99.9 Drupada with twenty-five, Virāṭa with ten arrows, and Śikhaṇḍin with twenty-five shafts pierced Bhīṣma.

6.99.10 Sorely pierced, O great king, by those high-souled warriors in the field, Bhīṣma shone like a red aśoka in spring, dappled with blossoms.

6.99.11 The son of Gaṅgā pierced them in return, each with three straight-flying shafts, and with a broad-headed arrow he cut Drupada's bow, O honored one.

6.99.12 Taking up another bow, he pierced Bhīṣma with five arrows and his charioteer with three well-whetted shafts at the head of the battle.

6.99.13 Then Bhīma, O great king, and the five sons of Draupadī, and the five Kekaya brothers, and Sātyaki of the Sātvata line,

6.99.14 rushed against the son of Gaṅgā, seeking Yudhiṣṭhira's welfare and wishing to protect the Pāñcāla Dhṛṣṭadyumna who led them in the battle.

6.99.15 And in like manner all your warriors, set upon guarding Bhīṣma, advanced with their hosts against the Pāṇḍava army, O ruler of men.

6.99.16 There was a vast and confused battle between your men and theirs, of men and horses and chariots and elephants, swelling the realm of Yama.

6.99.17 A car-warrior, closing with a car-warrior, sent him to the abode of Yama; so too with others, the riders of men and elephants and horses, closing in,

6.99.18 led them to the other world with smooth-jointed arrows and with manifold dreadful weapons, here and there, O lord of peoples.

6.99.19 Chariots bereft of their warriors and with their charioteers slain, their horses bolting away, ran in all directions over the battlefield.

6.99.20 Crushing men and very many horses in the battle, O king, and rushing like the wind, they were seen resembling the cities of the gandharvas.

6.99.21 Car-warriors bereft of their chariots, clad in armor and endowed with splendor, all wearing earrings and turbans and adorned with golden chains and armlets,

6.99.22 in form like the sons of the gods, in valor in battle like Śakra, surpassing Vaiśravaṇa in wealth and Bṛhaspati in statecraft,

6.99.23 those lords of all the world, those heroes, were seen fleeing here and there, O lord of peoples, like common men.

6.99.24 And the elephants, O best of men, deprived of their excellent riders, trampling their own ranks, rushed about, hurrying toward every sound.

6.99.25 With their armor and yak-tail fans and parasols and banners, O honored one, with their girths and goads and bells and lances likewise,

6.99.26 all torn and shattered, they were seen running through the ten directions, those elephants like mountains or clouds, their cries like the rumble of a rising rain-cloud.

6.99.27 In the same way we beheld elephant-riders bereft of their tuskers running about, O lord of peoples, in the confusion of your men and theirs.

6.99.28 And horses arisen from many lands, decked with gold, rushing like the wind, I saw by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.99.29 Horsemen whose mounts were slain, grasping their swords, we saw on every side fleeing and being driven in flight in the battle.

6.99.30 An elephant, charging upon a fleeing elephant in the great battle, rushed on, crushing in its course the foot-soldiers and the horses.

6.99.31 And likewise an elephant, O king, crushed chariots in the battle; and a chariot too, bearing down upon foot-soldier and horse alike,

6.99.32 crushed horses and men in the battle, O king. Thus did they, O king, in manifold ways trample one another.

6.99.33 While that savage and terrifying battle raged on, there arose a ghastly river whose waves were blood and entrails.

6.99.34 Heaps of bones were its rafts, hair its moss and grass; chariots were its pools, arrows its whirlpools, horses its fish—an unfordable stream.

6.99.35 Strewn with severed heads for stones, teeming with elephants for crocodiles, foaming with armor and turbans, with bows for islands and swords for turtles.

6.99.36 Rich with banners and standards for trees, sweeping away the banks of men, thronged with packs of carrion-eaters, swelling the realm of Yama.

6.99.37 That river, O king, the brave warriors crossed in their multitudes by rafts of horses, elephants, and chariots, casting off fear in the great battle.

6.99.38 It bore away the cowards in the fray, overcome with stupefaction, as the Vaitaraṇī bears the dead toward the city of the king of the dead.

6.99.39 Beholding that great slaughter, the warriors there cried aloud: "Through Duryodhana's offense the Kauravas are going to ruin!"

6.99.40 "How could that lord of men, the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, evil of soul and deluded by greed, conceive such hatred for the virtuous sons of Pāṇḍu?"

6.99.41 Words of many kinds such as these were heard there, O Bhārata—praising the Pāṇḍavas and most harsh toward your sons.

6.99.42 Hearing those words then uttered by all the warriors, your son Duryodhana—the offender against the whole world—

6.99.43 spoke to Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa, and Śalya, O Bhārata: "Fight without arrogance! Why do you delay so long?"

6.99.44 Then, O king, there broke out between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas that most dreadful carnage, born of the game of dice.

6.99.45 That which you would not restrain of old, though warned by the great-souled ones—O son of Vicitravīrya, behold now its fruit, just such as this.

6.99.46 For neither the sons of Pāṇḍu with their armies and followers, nor the Kauravas, O lord of peoples, spared their own lives in that battle.

6.99.47 From this cause, O tiger among men, that terrible destruction of men came to pass—whether by fate, O king, or by your own misrule.

6.100.1 Saṃjaya said: But Arjuna, O tiger among men, with his sharpened arrows led the kings headed by Suśarman to the abode of the king of the dead.

6.100.2 Suśarman too then pierced Pārtha with arrows in the fray, striking Vāsudeva with seventy and Pārtha again with nine.

6.100.3 Warding them off with a flood of arrows, the son of Śakra, that mighty car-warrior, sent Suśarman's fighters in battle to the dwelling of Yama.

6.100.4 Slaughtered by Pārtha as if by Time at the dissolution of the age, those mighty car-warriors fled the battle, O king, when terror seized them.

6.100.5 Some abandoning their horses, some their chariots, O venerable one, and others forsaking their elephants, fled in all ten directions.

6.100.6 Others, goading on their horses, elephants, and chariots, fled from the battle with the utmost haste, O lord of peoples.

6.100.7 And the foot-soldiers too, casting away their weapons in that great battle, ran heedlessly this way and that, O Bhārata.

6.100.8 Though restrained again and again by the Trigarta Suśarman and by the other foremost kings, they would not stand firm in the conflict.

6.100.9 Seeing that force in flight, your son Duryodhana, setting Bhīṣma before him in battle—Bhīṣma whom all the host placed at its head—

6.100.10 with a great and total effort rushed upon Dhanaṃjaya, for the sake of the Trigarta lord's life, O lord of peoples.

6.100.11 He alone stood firm in the fight, scattering arrows of many kinds, together with all his brothers, while the rest of the men had fled away.

6.100.12 Likewise the Pāṇḍavas, O king, mail-clad with their whole strength, advanced for Phalguna's sake to where Bhīṣma had taken his stand.

6.100.13 Though they knew the terrible valor in battle of the wielder of Gāṇḍīva, their ardor roused by cries of dismay, they assailed Bhīṣma on every side.

6.100.14 Then the hero of the palm-tree banner covered the host of the Pāṇḍavas in battle with arrows whose joints were smoothly bent.

6.100.15 Then, gathered into one, all the Kurus together with the Pāṇḍavas fought on, O great king, when the sun had reached its zenith.

6.100.16 Sātyaki, having pierced Kṛtavarman with five iron shafts, stood his ground in the fray, that hero scattering arrows by the thousand.

6.100.17 Likewise King Drupada, piercing Droṇa with sharp arrows, struck him again with seventy and his charioteer with seven.

6.100.18 And Bhīmasena, having pierced King Bāhlika, his great-grandsire, roared a mighty roar like a tiger in the forest.

6.100.19 Arjuna's son, pierced by Citrasena with many swift shafts, struck Citrasena deep in the heart with three arrows.

6.100.20 Those two great champions, met together in battle, shone forth like the two most dread planets in the sky, O king—Mercury and Saturn.

6.100.21 Having slain his four horses and his charioteer with nine arrows, the son of Subhadrā, slayer of enemy heroes, roared a mighty roar.

6.100.22 Then that mighty car-warrior, swiftly leaping down from his horseless chariot, swiftly mounted the car of Durmukha, O lord of peoples.

6.100.23 And Droṇa, having pierced Drupada with arrows of smoothly bent joints, in his haste, that valiant one, struck his charioteer as well.

6.100.24 Hard pressed then at the head of the host, King Drupada withdrew with his swift horses, recalling their ancient enmity.

6.100.25 But Bhīmasena, in but a moment, stripped King Bāhlika of horses, charioteer, and car, before the eyes of the whole army.

6.100.26 In confusion, O great king, fallen into the gravest peril, Bāhlika, that best of men, leaping down from his mount, swiftly mounted the chariot of Lakṣmaṇa, that mighty car-warrior.

6.100.27 Sātyaki, that mighty car-warrior, having warded off Kṛtavarman with arrows of many kinds, O king, closed upon the grandsire.

6.100.28 Having pierced the Bhārata with sixty keen feathered shafts, he seemed to dance upon his chariot-platform, shaking his great bow.

6.100.29 At him the grandsire then hurled a great iron lance, gold-adorned, of mighty speed, beautiful as a serpent-maiden.

6.100.30 As it suddenly flew at him, death-like and keenly bright, the Vārṣṇeya of great renown shattered it by his deftness.

6.100.31 Failing to reach the Vārṣṇeya, that most dreadful lance fell upon the surface of the earth like a great meteor whose light had failed.

6.100.32 Then the Vārṣṇeya, O king, seizing his own lance of dreadful aspect, hurled it with speed toward the grandsire's chariot.

6.100.33 Driven by the force of the Vārṣṇeya's arm, in that great battle it rushed swiftly on like the Night of Doom upon a man.

6.100.34 As it suddenly flew at him, he cut it in two, O Bhārata, with two razor-tipped, exceedingly sharp arrows, and it was scattered upon the ground.

6.100.35 Having severed the lance, the son of Gaṅgā, wrathful yet laughing, that harrier of foes, struck Sātyaki in the chest with nine arrows.

6.100.36 Then the Pāṇḍavas, O elder of the Pāṇḍu line, with their chariots, elephants, and horses, surrounded Bhīṣma in battle for the protection of the Mādhava.

6.100.37 Then there broke out a tumultuous, hair-raising battle between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus, each longing for victory in the fray.

6.101.1 Saṃjaya said: Seeing Bhīṣma wrathful in battle and hemmed in by the Pāṇḍavas, O great king, as the sun in the sky is wrapped by clouds at the end of the hot season—

6.101.2 Duryodhana, O great king, spoke to Duḥśāsana: "Here is the hero, the great archer Bhīṣma, slayer of foes,

6.101.3 covered on every side by the brave Pāṇḍavas, O bull of the Bhāratas. The protection of that exalted one must be your task, O hero.

6.101.4 For if guarded in battle, Bhīṣma our grandsire would slay the striving Pāñcālas together with the Pāṇḍavas.

6.101.5 Therein I deem the duty to be the safeguarding of Bhīṣma himself, for this great archer Bhīṣma, our grandsire, is our protector."

6.101.6 "Let you, then, with all the host, surround the grandsire and guard him as he works his hard deeds in battle."

6.101.7 Thus addressed in the battle, your son Duḥśāsana took his stand encircling Bhīṣma, surrounded by a great host.

6.101.8 Then the son of Subala, with a hundred thousand horsemen bearing gleaming javelins in hand, wielding spears and lances—

6.101.9 proud, swift, mighty, and bannered, attended by trained men foremost among men, skilled in war—

6.101.10 held back Nakula and Sahadeva, and the Pāṇḍava Dharmarāja, foremost of men, surrounding them on every side.

6.101.11 Then King Duryodhana sent ten thousand brave horsemen to hold back the Pāṇḍavas.

6.101.12 As they charged in, swift as Garuḍa in the battle, the earth, struck by their hooves, O king, both trembled and roared.

6.101.13 And the mighty sound of the horses' hooves was then heard like that of a great bamboo forest burning upon a mountain.

6.101.14 And the great dust raised up by their galloping there, reaching the path of the day-maker, veiled the sun.

6.101.15 By those swift horses the Pāṇḍava force was thrown into turmoil, as a great lake is by geese descending at high speed; and amid the sound of their neighing nothing could be discerned.

6.101.16 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī swiftly beat back the onrush of the horsemen in battle.

6.101.17 As the shore checks the surging flood of the great ocean, swollen by the rainy season and risen at the full moon, O great king.

6.101.18 Then those car-warriors, O king, with arrows of smoothly bent joints, severed the heads of the horsemen from their bodies.

6.101.19 They fell, O great king, slain by those stout bowmen, like great elephants felled by elephants in a mountain cave.

6.101.20 They too, ranging through all ten directions, severed the heads of their foes with keen javelins and arrows of smoothly bent joints.

6.101.21 Drawing very close, the horsemen with their spears cut off the heads of their foes, O bull of the Bhāratas, as one plucks fruits from a great tree.

6.101.22 Horses with their riders, O king, were slain here and there—fallen and falling by the hundreds and the thousands.

6.101.23 Those horses, being slaughtered and stricken with terror, fled away, as deer that, meeting lions, flee bent on saving their lives.

6.101.24 And the Pāṇḍavas, O great king, having vanquished their foes in that great battle, blew their conches and beat their drums in the fray.

6.101.25 Then Duryodhana, seeing his army standing crestfallen, O best of the Bhāratas, spoke these words to the king of the Madras:

6.101.26 "This eldest son of Pāṇḍu, O maternal uncle, having conquered my men, even as we look on, O mighty-armed one, the strong one routs my army.

6.101.27 Hold him back, O mighty-armed one, as the shore holds back the abode of sea-monsters; for you are renowned beyond measure as one of unbearable strength and prowess."

6.101.28 Hearing that speech of your son, the majestic Śalya advanced with his line of chariots to where King Yudhiṣṭhira was.

6.101.29 As Śalya's vast host came rushing on all at once, sweeping forward like the rush of a mighty flood, the son of Pāṇḍu held it back in the battle.

6.101.30 And the king of righteousness, that great chariot-warrior, swiftly struck the king of the Madras full in the chest with ten arrows in the fight; and Nakula and Sahadeva struck him each with three straight-flying shafts.

6.101.31 The king of the Madras in turn smote them all, each with three arrows, and pierced Yudhiṣṭhira again with sixty whetted shafts, and struck the two furious sons of Mādrī with two arrows apiece.

6.101.32 Then mighty-armed Bhīma, vanquisher of foes, seeing the king fallen into the power of the lord of the Madras in the battle, as if caught in the very jaws of death, rushed to Yudhiṣṭhira's side in the fray.

6.101.33 Then a most terrible and savage combat broke out, while the sun, blazing, had taken its stand in the western quarter.

6.102.1 Saṃjaya said: Then your father, filled with wrath, with his keen and excellent shafts struck the sons of Pṛthā along with their armies on every side in the battle.

6.102.2 He pierced Bhīma with twelve arrows and Sātyaki with nine shafts, Nakula with three darts and Sahadeva with seven,

6.102.3 and into Yudhiṣṭhira's arms and breast he drove twelve shafts; then, having pierced Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the mighty one roared aloud.

6.102.4 In return Nakula pierced the grandsire with six, and Mādhava with three shafts, Dhṛṣṭadyumna with seventy and Bhīmasena with five, while Yudhiṣṭhira struck back the grandsire with twelve.

6.102.5 And Droṇa, having pierced Sātyaki, then struck Bhīmasena, smiting each with five sharp arrows like the rod of Yama.

6.102.6 And those two struck him back, each with three straight-flying shafts, as men goad a great elephant with hooks—Droṇa, that bull among brāhmaṇas.

6.102.7 The Sauvīras, the Kitavas, the men of the east and the west and the north, the Mālavas, the Abhīṣāhas, the Śūrasenas, the Śibis, and the Vasātis, though cut down by sharp arrows, did not abandon Bhīṣma in the fight.

6.102.8 Likewise others too, though being slain by the high-souled men of the Pāṇḍava side, advanced against the Pāṇḍavas with weapons of every kind in their hands; and even so, O king, the Pāṇḍavas encircled the grandsire.

6.102.9 Surrounded on every side by floods of chariots, yet unconquered, he blazed forth like a fire let loose in a thicket, consuming the foe.

6.102.10 His chariot was the fire-altar, his bow the flame, swords, lances, and maces its fuel, his arrows the sparks—and that fire that was Bhīṣma burned up the bulls among the warriors.

6.102.11 With gold-feathered arrows fledged with vulture-plumes and finely sharpened, with barbed shafts, nālīka darts, and iron bolts, he covered over that host.

6.102.12 With his keen shafts he brought down banners and chariot-warriors alike, and made the ranks of chariots like groves of palm-trees stripped bare of their crowns.

6.102.13 Chariots, elephants, and horses he left without men upon them in the battle, O king—that mighty-armed one, the foremost of all who bear arms.

6.102.14 Hearing the roar of his bowstring against the leather guard, like the crash of a thunderbolt, all creatures trembled, O Bhārata.

6.102.15 For your father's arrows fell never in vain, O bull of the Bhāratas; the shafts loosed from Bhīṣma's bow were not stayed by any armor.

6.102.16 Chariots whose heroes had been slain, yet yoked still to swift horses, we beheld, O great king, being dragged across the field of battle.

6.102.17 Fourteen thousand of the Cedis, Kāśis, and Karūṣas—renowned as great chariot-warriors, sons of noble houses, ready to give up their lives, all unflinching, with banners wrought of gold—

6.102.18 having come upon Bhīṣma in the battle, like Death with jaws agape, sank down into the other world together with their horses, chariots, and elephants.

6.102.19 Chariots with axles and frames shattered, some with their wheels broken all about, we beheld, O king, by the hundreds and by the thousands.

6.102.20 With broken chariots and their canopies, with fallen chariot-warriors, with shattered fine coats of mail and arrows and spears, O lord of peoples,

6.102.21 with maces and pestles, with swords and bee-shaped shafts, with chariot-poles and quivers and broken wheels, O honored one,

6.102.22 with arms and bows and swords, with heads still bearing their earrings, with leathern wrist-guards and finger-guards, with fallen banners, and with bows cut to pieces in many places—with all these the earth was strewn over.

6.102.23 Elephants whose riders had been slain and horses whose mounted men were dead ran wildly to and fro there, O king, by the hundreds and the thousands.

6.102.24 And those heroes, though they strove their utmost, could not check the great chariot-warriors as they fled, tormented by Bhīṣma's arrows.

6.102.25 Cut down by him whose valor equaled great Indra's, the mighty host broke and scattered, O great king, so that not even two men fled together.

6.102.26 With its chariots, elephants, and horses thrown into confusion, its banners and chariot-poles fallen, the army of the sons of Pāṇḍu became one cry of woe, bereft of its senses.

6.102.27 There, in the rout, father slew son and son slew father, and friend slew beloved friend, each driven on by the force of fate.

6.102.28 Others among the son of Pāṇḍu's soldiers cast off their armor and, with their hair flying loose, were seen running away, O Bhārata.

6.102.29 Like a herd of cattle in a stampede, its chariots and elephants scattering in panic, the army of the son of Pāṇḍu was then to be seen, raising a cry of distress.

6.102.30 Seeing the army being broken to pieces, the delight of the Yādavas reined in that excellent chariot and spoke to Pārtha, the Bībhatsu:

6.102.31 "This is the very hour, O Pārtha, that you have longed for; strike now at this man, O tiger among men—unless from bewilderment your purpose fails you.

6.102.32 What you yourself once declared, O hero, before the assembled kings in Virāṭa's city, O Pārtha, in the presence of Saṃjaya—

6.102.33 'All the warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son, with Bhīṣma and Droṇa at their head, together with their kinsmen, I shall slay—whoever shall give me battle in the fight'—

6.102.34 make good that word, O son of Kuntī, O subduer of foes; remembering the duty of a kṣatriya, do battle, O bull of the Bhāratas."

6.102.35 Thus addressed by Vāsudeva, the Bībhatsu, with sidelong glance and downcast face, as though against his will, spoke these words:

6.102.36 "By slaying those who ought not to be slain, what good can come to me—whether a kingdom that leads but to hell, or the sorrows of life in the forest?

6.102.37 Drive on the horses to where Bhīṣma stands; I shall do your bidding. I shall bring down the unassailable old grandsire of the Kurus."

6.102.38 Then Mādhava urged on the horses, white as silver, toward where Bhīṣma stood—who, O king, was hard to gaze upon, like the radiant sun.

6.102.39 Then Yudhiṣṭhira's great host turned back again, seeing the mighty-armed Pārtha rising up against Bhīṣma in the battle.

6.102.40 Then Bhīṣma, foremost of the Kurus, roaring again and again like a lion, swiftly overwhelmed Dhanaṃjaya's chariot with showers of arrows.

6.102.41 In an instant that chariot of his, with its horses and its driver, was so covered by the great rain of arrows that nothing of it could be made out at all.

6.102.42 But Vāsudeva of the Sātvatas, unshaken, holding firm to his steadiness, urged on those horses that were wounded by Bhīṣma's shafts.

6.102.43 Then Pārtha, taking up his divine bow that sounded like a thundercloud, cut Bhīṣma's bow with his keen shafts and brought it down.

6.102.44 His bow thus severed, that scion of Kuru, your father, in but the span between two blinks of an eye strung another great bow.

6.102.45 With both arms he drew that bow that roared like a thundercloud; but this one too the wrathful Arjuna cut through.

6.102.46 The son of Śaṃtanu praised that swiftness of his: "Well done, O mighty-armed Pārtha! Well done, O son of Kuntī!"

6.102.47 Having so addressed him, Bhīṣma took up another splendid bow and loosed his arrows in the battle against Pārtha's chariot.

6.102.48 Vāsudeva showed forth surpassing skill in the driving of the horses, making the other's arrows fall in vain by displaying his wheeling circles.

6.102.49 Those two tigers among men, Bhīṣma and Pārtha, gashed by arrows, shone resplendent, like two furious bulls scored and marked by each other's horns.

6.102.50 But Vāsudeva, beholding the gentleness of Pārtha's fighting, and Bhīṣma pouring forth showers of arrows unceasingly in the battle,

6.102.51 blazing like the sun as he stood between the two armies, striking down one after another the best of the son of Pāṇḍu's warriors,

6.102.52 making it seem as though the end of an age had come upon Yudhiṣṭhira's host—that Bhīṣma the mighty-armed Mādhava, slayer of hostile heroes, could no longer endure.

6.102.53 Letting go of Pārtha's horses, white as silver, O honored one, that great master of yoga, in his wrath, leapt down from the great chariot, and the mighty one rushed at Bhīṣma with only his arms for weapons.

6.102.54 Goad in hand, blazing with splendor, roaring again and again like a lion, that lord of the world seemed to rend the very earth with his feet.

6.102.55 His eyes red with wrath, eager to slay, of measureless brilliance, Kṛṣṇa seemed in that great battle to devour the very spirits of your men.

6.102.56 Seeing Mādhava in the tumult rising up against Bhīṣma in the fight, the warriors there cried out, "Bhīṣma is slain! Bhīṣma is slain!" and all those men fled away in terror of Vāsudeva.

6.102.57 Wrapped in yellow silk, dark as a sapphire, Janārdana, as he rushed upon Bhīṣma, shone resplendent like a thundercloud garlanded with lightning.

6.102.58 As a lion springs upon an elephant, or the bull of the herd upon a rival bull, so did that splendid bull of the Yādavas rush forward, roaring.

6.102.59 Beholding the lotus-eyed one rushing upon him in the battle, Bhīṣma, unperturbed, drew his great bow in the fray and spoke to Govinda with an untroubled heart:

6.102.60 "Come, come, O lotus-eyed one, O God of gods, homage be to you! Strike me down today, O best of the Sātvatas, in this great battle!

6.102.61 For if I be slain by you in the battle, O sinless god, the highest good alone shall be mine, O Kṛṣṇa, both in that world and in this; I am honored, O Govinda, this day before the three worlds, in the fight."

6.102.62 Then close behind, the mighty-armed Pārtha, running after Keśava, caught hold of him, seizing him fast with both his arms.

6.102.63 Though held back by Pārtha, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, that supreme of men, dragging Arjuna along with him, still pressed forward with great force.

6.102.64 But Pārtha, slayer of hostile heroes, planting his feet firmly with all his strength, with great effort restrained Hṛṣīkeśa at the tenth step.

6.102.65 Then Arjuna, slayer of hostile heroes, in his distress spoke to him whose eyes were troubled with wrath, who hissed like a serpent:

6.102.66 "Turn back, O mighty-armed one! You must not make a falsehood of what you yourself declared before, that you would not fight, O Keśava.

6.102.67 The world will call you a breaker of your word, O Mādhava. This whole burden is mine; I shall slay him who is steadfast in his vow.

6.102.68 I swear, O Mādhava, by our friendship, by truth, and by my good deeds, that I shall make an end of the foes, O harrier of foes.

6.102.69 This very day behold the unassailable one, mighty in his vows, brought low—like the lord of the stars when, at the hour of doom, of itself it wanes and falls."

6.102.70 And Mādhava, hearing the words of the high-souled Phalguna, said nothing, but, still wrathful, mounted the chariot again.

6.102.71 Upon those two tigers among men, standing in their chariot, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu once more rained a rain of arrows, as a cloud pours its torrents upon two mountains.

6.102.72 And your father Devavrata took the lives of the warriors as the sun with its rays draws up the dews at winter's end.

6.102.73 Even as the Pāṇḍava had broken the armies of the Kurus in the fight, so did your father break the armies of the Pāṇḍavas in the battle.

6.102.74 Their soldiers slain and put to flight, dispirited and bereft of their senses, they could not bear even to look upon the peerless Bhīṣma in the battle, blazing with his own splendor like the sun arrived at its zenith.

6.102.75 Slain by Bhīṣma as if by Time itself at the dissolution of an age, the Pāṇḍavas, oppressed with fear, looked about them, O great king.

6.102.76 They could find no deliverer, like cattle mired in the mud, like ants trampled underfoot — the weak crushed by the strong in battle.

6.102.77 O Bhārata, upon that mighty car-warrior, unassailable, pouring forth floods of arrows and scorching the kings, upon Bhīṣma they could not so much as look — blazing with shafts for rays like the burning sun.

6.102.78 As he ground down the host of the Pāṇḍavas, the thousand-rayed one went to his setting; then in the armies, worn out by toil, the mind turned toward withdrawal.

6.103.1 Saṃjaya said: While they were still fighting, when the sun had reached its setting, a dreadful twilight came on, and we could no longer see the battle.

6.103.2 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, O Bhārata, beholding the twilight and his host being slaughtered by Bhīṣma, slayer of foes,

6.103.3 its weapons let fall, turned about and bent on flight, and Bhīṣma raging in the fight, pursuing the mighty car-warriors —

6.103.4 and seeing the Somakas vanquished and the great car-warriors dispirited, having pondered long and reflected, he resolved upon a withdrawal.

6.103.5 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira ordered the withdrawal of his troops; and in like manner there was a withdrawal of your troops as well at that time.

6.103.6 Then, having drawn back the troops, the great car-warriors there encamped, O best of the Kurus, hacked and wounded in the fray.

6.103.7 But the Pāṇḍavas, brooding on Bhīṣma's deeds in the battle, could find no peace then, sorely harried by Bhīṣma.

6.103.8 Bhīṣma too, having conquered in battle the Pāṇḍavas together with the Sṛñjayas, honored by your sons and extolled, O Bhārata,

6.103.9 encamped together with the Kurus, who were joyful on every side; then came the night, that bewilders all living beings.

6.103.10 In that dread nightfall the Pāṇḍavas, together with the Vṛṣṇis and the unassailable Sṛñjayas, sat down to take counsel.

6.103.11 All those mighty ones, skilled in resolving deliberations, took counsel, unperturbed, upon what would be best for them and fitting to the hour.

6.103.12 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, having deliberated long, O king, looked up at Vāsudeva and spoke these words:

6.103.13 "Behold, Kṛṣṇa, the great-souled Bhīṣma of terrible prowess, crushing my host as an elephant crushes thickets of reeds.

6.103.14 We dare not even look upon that great-souled one, who licks among the armies like a fire grown high.

6.103.15 As the dread great serpent Takṣaka, swollen with venom, so is Bhīṣma in battle, O Kṛṣṇa — sharp-weaponed and full of fiery might.

6.103.16 With bow in hand in battle, loosing his whetted shafts — Yama enraged might be conquered, and the thunderbolt-wielding king of the gods,

6.103.17 or Varuṇa bearing his noose, or the lord of wealth with his mace — but Bhīṣma in his fury cannot be conquered in great battle.

6.103.18 So am I, things having come to this pass, O Kṛṣṇa, sunk in an ocean of grief, having encountered Bhīṣma in the fight through my own weakness of judgment.

6.103.19 I shall go to the forest, O unassailable one — there indeed lies my welfare. I take no joy in this war, Kṛṣṇa, for Bhīṣma slays us without ceasing.

6.103.20 As a moth rushing upon a blazing fire goes straight to its death, so have I come against Bhīṣma.

6.103.21 I am brought to ruin, O scion of Vṛṣṇi, valiant though I am, for the sake of a kingdom; and my heroic brothers are sorely tormented by his shafts.

6.103.22 For my sake, out of brotherly love, they have been cast down from the kingdom; and Kṛṣṇā too has been brought to grief for my sake, O slayer of Madhu.

6.103.23 Life I hold dear, for life today is hard to keep; with the remnant of life that is left me this day I will follow the highest dharma.

6.103.24 If I, together with my brothers, am worthy of your grace, O Keśava, then declare it to me, Keśava, in a manner not at odds with my own dharma."

6.103.25 Hearing this his speech, uttered at length out of compassion, Kṛṣṇa then replied, comforting Yudhiṣṭhira:

6.103.26 "Son of Dharma, true to your covenant, do not give way to despair — you whose brothers are heroes, hard to vanquish, slayers of foes:

6.103.27 Arjuna and Bhīmasena, equal in splendor to Wind and Fire, and the two valiant sons of Mādrī, like lords among the gods.

6.103.28 Or set me to the task, out of our friendship, O Pāṇḍava, and I will fight with Bhīṣma; for, charged by you, O king, what would I not do in the great battle?

6.103.29 I will challenge and slay in battle that bull among men, Bhīṣma, before the very eyes of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons — if Phalguna is unwilling.

6.103.30 If, O king, you see victory in Bhīṣma's death, O Pāṇḍava, I will this day, with a single car, slay the aged grandsire of the Kurus.

6.103.31 Behold my prowess in the fight, O king, as it were great Indra's: loosing mighty weapons, I will hurl him down from his car.

6.103.32 Whoever is an enemy of the sons of Pāṇḍu is my enemy too, beyond all doubt; my cause is yours, and those who are mine are yours alone.

6.103.33 Your brother is my friend, my kinsman, and indeed my pupil; for Arjuna's sake, O lord of earth, I would cut off my own flesh and give it.

6.103.34 And this tiger among men would for my sake give up his life; this is our compact, dear one — that we should deliver each other across. So set me to the task, O lord of kings, that I may be your refuge.

6.103.35 That which was vowed before, at Upaplavya, by Pārtha in Ulūka's presence — 'I will bring about the death of the son of Gaṅgā' —

6.103.36 that word of the wise Pārtha I am bound to keep; and what Pārtha has consented to must be done by me, beyond all doubt.

6.103.37 Or else this is a burden well within Phalguna's measure in battle: he will slay in the fray Bhīṣma, conqueror of hostile cities.

6.103.38 For Pārtha, once roused, could accomplish even the impossible in battle: Arjuna might in combat slay the gods themselves, arrayed together with Daityas and Dānavas — how much more Bhīṣma, O lord of men!

6.103.39 Bhīṣma, the son of Śaṃtanu, mighty in valor, is surely now turned awry, his spirit gone, his life but short, and no longer perceives what ought to be done."

6.103.40 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "So it is, O mighty-armed one, even as you say, O Mādhava; for none of these is a match to withstand your onset.

6.103.41 Assuredly I shall attain all that I desire, I for whom you, O tiger among men, mighty in strength, are protector.

6.103.42 With you as my protector, O best of the victorious, I could conquer in battle the very gods together with Indra, O Govinda — how much more Bhīṣma in the great fight!

6.103.43 Yet I will not, for the weight of my own interest, make your word a falsehood. Without yourself doing battle, render the aid that was promised, O Mādhava.

6.103.44 A certain compact, O Mādhava, was made with me by Bhīṣma: 'I will counsel you for your good, but I will in no way fight for you; for Duryodhana's sake I shall fight' — truly this he said, O lord.

6.103.45 For he is the giver to me both of the kingdom and of counsel, O Mādhava. Therefore let us all, together with you, once more ask Devavrata himself the means of his own undoing, O slayer of Madhu.

6.103.46 So let us go together at once to Bhīṣma, that best of men, and — if it please you, O scion of Vṛṣṇi — ask the Kaurava for his counsel.

6.103.47 He will speak words salutary and true, O Janārdana; and as he shall direct, Kṛṣṇa, so shall I do in the battle.

6.103.48 He, firm in his vow, is the giver to us both of victory and of counsel; orphaned children bereft of our father, we were reared by him.

6.103.49 If I must wish to slay that aged grandsire, O Mādhava — my father's beloved father — then a curse upon the warrior's calling!"

6.103.50 Saṃjaya said: Then, O great king, the scion of Vṛṣṇi said to the delight of the Kurus: "Ever does your speech please me, O mighty-armed one.

6.103.51 Devavrata Bhīṣma, accomplished, could consume one with a mere glance. Let us go to ask the son of the ocean-bound river the means of his death; he is bound to tell the truth, especially when asked by you.

6.103.52 So let us go there to question the grandsire of the Kurus; bowing our heads to him, let us ask his counsel, O Mādhava. By the counsel he shall give us we will fight our foes."

6.103.53 Having thus taken counsel, the heroic Pāṇḍavas, O elder of Pāṇḍu, went all together, and the valiant Vāsudeva with them, their weapons and armor laid aside, to the tent of Bhīṣma.

6.103.54 Entering then, the Pāṇḍavas approached Bhīṣma and saluted him with their heads, doing him honor, O great king, O bull of the Bhāratas; and bowing their heads to him, they took refuge with Bhīṣma.

6.103.55 To them the mighty-armed Bhīṣma, grandsire of the Kurus, said: "Welcome to you, O scion of Vṛṣṇi; welcome to you, Dhanaṃjaya; welcome to the son of Dharma, to Bhīma, and to the twins as well.

6.103.56 What service may I do you this day to increase your gladness? I will do it with my whole heart, even were it most hard to accomplish."

6.103.57 To the son of Gaṅgā, who spoke thus again and again with affection, the son of Dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira, sore at heart, said these words:

6.103.58 "How may we conquer, O knower of dharma? How may we win the kingdom? How may there be no destruction of the people? Tell me that, O lord.

6.103.59 Tell us yourself the means of your own undoing; for how, O king, can we withstand you in battle?

6.103.60 For there is in you not even the slightest gap, O grandsire of the Kurus; with your bow ever drawn into a full circle you are seen in the fight.

6.103.61 We cannot mark you taking up, nor nocking, nor drawing your bow, O mighty-armed one, stationed on your car like the sun.

6.103.62 Slayer of men and horses, chariots and elephants, destroyer of hostile heroes — what man could presume to slay you, O bull of the Bhāratas?

6.103.63 By you, O best of men, pouring down your great showers of arrows, my mighty host has been brought to ruin.

6.103.64 How I may conquer you in battle, how the kingdom may be mine, and how there may be peace for my army — tell me that, O grandsire."

6.103.65 Then the son of Śaṃtanu said to the Pāṇḍavas, O elder of Pāṇḍu: "In no way, O son of Kuntī, while I live, will victory be seen for you in battle — this truth I tell you.

6.103.66 But once I am overcome in the fight, you will surely conquer the Kauravas. Strike at me quickly, if you desire victory in battle; I grant you leave, O sons of Pṛthā — strike as you please.

6.103.67 Thus indeed I deem it well done by you, for I am known to you; when I am slain, all is slain. Therefore let it be so ordained."

6.103.68 Yudhiṣṭhira said: "Tell us then the means by which we may conquer in battle you, who in your wrath are like Death himself, rod in hand.

6.103.69 The wielder of the thunderbolt may be conquered, and Varuṇa, and Yama too; but you cannot be vanquished in battle even by gods and demons with Indra at their head."

6.103.70 Bhīṣma said: "True is this, O mighty-armed one, even as you say, O Pāṇḍava: I cannot be conquered in battle even by gods and demons with Indra at their head,

6.103.71 while in battle I stand armed and intent, my excellent bow in hand. But once I have laid down my weapons, O king, the great car-warriors may strike me in the fight.

6.103.72 Against one whose weapons are cast down, who has fallen, whose armor and banner are flung off, who is fleeing or afraid, or who says 'I am yours' —

6.103.73 against a woman, or one bearing a woman's name, against the maimed, against one who is the only son, or unborn-of-issue, or unsightly — to fight with these pleases me not.

6.103.74 And hear this resolve of mine, O Pārtha, long ago conceived: beholding an inauspicious standard, I would in no way give battle.

6.103.75 This son of Drupada in your host, O king, the great car-warrior Śikhaṇḍin, eager for battle, a hero victorious in assemblies of war —

6.103.76 how he was a woman before and afterward attained to manhood — you yourselves know all this exactly as it befell.

6.103.77 Let the heroic Arjuna in battle, putting Śikhaṇḍin in the forefront, mailed and swift, rush upon me with his arrows.

6.103.78 Against one who bears that inauspicious banner, and above all against one who was formerly a woman, I have no wish to strike, nor in any way to take up my arrows.

6.103.79 Seizing that opening, let the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya swiftly strike me down with his arrows from every side, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.103.80 In all the worlds I see no one who could slay me when I stand ready for battle, save the illustrious Kṛṣṇa, or the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya.

6.103.81 Therefore, placing some other before me in the van, let Bībhatsu strike me down — thus shall victory be yours.

6.103.82 Do this, son of Kuntī, as I have said in my words; then in battle you shall conquer the assembled sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

6.103.83 Saṃjaya said: Granted leave, the sons of Pṛthā then went toward their own camp, having saluted the great-souled Bhīṣma, grandsire of the Kurus.

6.103.84 When the son of Gaṅgā, now consecrated for the other world, had spoken thus, Arjuna, burning with grief, said this with shame:

6.103.85 With my teacher, the elder of our house, the wise and discerning grandsire — how shall I fight him in battle, O Mādhava?

6.103.86 For in my childhood, Vāsudeva, while I played with my limbs all smeared with dust, I roughly handled that high-minded, great-souled one.

6.103.87 Climbing onto his lap as a child, O elder brother of Gada, I would call him 'Father,' though he was the father of my own father, the great-souled Pāṇḍu.

6.103.88 'I am not your father, but your father's father, O Bhārata' — so he said to me in my childhood. How is such a one to be slain by me?

6.103.89 Let my army be slain if it must — I will not fight the great-souled one. Be it victory or death for me, what is your judgment, O Kṛṣṇa?

6.103.90 The blessed Kṛṣṇa said: Having vowed before, O Jiṣṇu, to slay Bhīṣma in battle, and standing fast in the duty of a warrior, O Pārtha, how will you not slay him?

6.103.91 Cast him down from his chariot, O Pārtha, like a tree struck by the thunderbolt. Without slaying the son of Gaṅgā in battle, no victory shall be yours.

6.103.92 This was ordained of old by the gods, and shall come to pass beyond your control: 'The slayer of Bhīṣma shall be the former Indra' — and that cannot be otherwise.

6.103.93 For Bhīṣma, unassailable, like Death with gaping jaws — none other than you could slay him, not even the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.

6.103.94 Slay Bhīṣma, mighty-armed one, and hear this word of mine, even as the deeply wise Bṛhaspati once spoke to Śakra:

6.103.95 'Even an elder, O Śakra, even one endowed with virtues, if he comes as an assassin bent on murder, one may challenge and slay him.'

6.103.96 This is the eternal, established law of warriors, O Dhanaṃjaya: that without malice they must fight, must protect, and must offer sacrifice.

6.103.97 Arjuna said: Śikhaṇḍin shall surely be the death of Bhīṣma, O Kṛṣṇa; for the moment Bhīṣma sees the Pāñcāla prince, he always turns away.

6.103.98 So we, stationing Śikhaṇḍin at the forefront before him, shall cast down the son of Gaṅgā by this stratagem — such is my thought.

6.103.99 I shall hold off the other great archers with my shafts, while Śikhaṇḍin, foremost of fighters, advances against Bhīṣma alone.

6.103.100 You have heard the chief of the Kurus say, 'I will not slay Śikhaṇḍin, for he was born a maiden of old and only afterward became a man.'

6.103.101 Saṃjaya said: Having reached this resolve, the Pāṇḍavas together with Mādhava, those bulls among men, each repaired to his own couch.

6.104.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How did Śikhaṇḍin advance against the son of Gaṅgā in battle, and how did the Pāṇḍavas advance against Bhīṣma? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.104.2 Saṃjaya said: Then, when the clear dawn came toward the rising of the sun, while kettledrums, tabors, and war-drums were being sounded,

6.104.3 and while curd-white conches were being blown on every side, the Pāṇḍavas, placing Śikhaṇḍin at their head, marched forth to battle.

6.104.4 Having formed an array, great king, that could crush every foe, Śikhaṇḍin stood at the forefront of all the troops, O lord of peoples.

6.104.5 As guardians of his chariot-wheels were Bhīmasena and Dhanaṃjaya, and behind came the sons of Draupadī and the valiant son of Subhadrā.

6.104.6 Sātyaki and Cekitāna, the great car-warrior, were their protectors; and behind came Dhṛṣṭadyumna, guarded by the Pāñcālas.

6.104.7 Then King Yudhiṣṭhira, the lord, together with the twins, advanced, making the field resound with his lion's roar, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.104.8 Behind them came Virāṭa, surrounded by his own army, and after him, great king, Drupada pressed forward.

6.104.9 The five Kekaya brothers and the valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu guarded the rear of the Pāṇḍava host, O Bhārata.

6.104.10 Having thus arrayed their great army, the Pāṇḍavas charged upon your host in battle, casting aside their very lives.

6.104.11 In like manner the Kurus, O king, placing the mighty Bhīṣma at the head of all their troops, marched out against the Pāṇḍavas.

6.104.12 Guarded by your sons, unassailable and of great might, came Droṇa the great archer, and his son the great car-warrior;

6.104.13 behind them Bhagadatta, surrounded by a host of elephants, and Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman, devoted followers of Bhagadatta.

6.104.14 Behind them the mighty king of the Kāmbojas, Sudakṣiṇa, and Jayatsena of Magadha, and the son of Subala, and Bṛhadbala.

6.104.15 And the other great archers, kings led by Suśarman, guarded the rear of your army, O Bhārata.

6.104.16 Day after day, as it came, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu formed in battle arrays after the manner of the Asuras, the Piśācas, and the Rākṣasas.

6.104.17 Then began the battle between your men and theirs, O Bhārata, as they struck one another down, O king — a battle that swelled the realm of Yama.

6.104.18 The sons of Pṛthā, led by Arjuna, placing Śikhaṇḍin before them, advanced upon Bhīṣma in battle, scattering arrows of every kind.

6.104.19 There, O Bhārata, your warriors, sorely pressed by Bhīma's arrows and drenched in streams of blood, went then to the other world.

6.104.20 Nakula and Sahadeva and Sātyaki the great car-warrior, falling upon your army, harried it with their might.

6.104.21 Being slaughtered in the battle, your men, O bull of the Bhāratas, were unable to hold back the great force of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.104.22 Then your army, cut down on every side, O king, fled in all directions, driven on by the great car-warriors.

6.104.23 Your men found no rescuer, O bull of the Bhāratas, as they were struck down by the sharp arrows of the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas.

6.104.24 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: Seeing his army hard pressed by the sons of Pṛthā, what did the valiant Bhīṣma do in his wrath upon the field? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.104.25 And how did that scorcher of foes advance against the Pāṇḍavas in battle, striking down the heroic Somakas? Tell me that, Saṃjaya.

6.104.26 Saṃjaya said: I will tell you, great king, what the grandsire did when your son's army was hard pressed by the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas.

6.104.27 With gladdened hearts the heroic Pāṇḍavas, O elder of Pāṇḍu's line, advanced, smiting your son's host.

6.104.28 That destruction of men, elephants, and horses, O lord of men — that slaughter of his army by the foe in battle — Bhīṣma could not then endure.

6.104.29 That unassailable great archer charged upon the Pāṇḍavas and the Pāñcālas together with the Sṛñjayas, casting aside his own life.

6.104.30 He held off the five foremost car-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas, O king, who stood ready with weapons raised in battle, with his shafts — with iron arrows, with calf-tooth darts, and with sharp crescent-headed barbs.

6.104.31 In his wrath he slew in battle countless elephants and horses beyond measure, and that bull among men hurled the chariot-warriors down from their cars, O king.

6.104.32 He cast the riders from the backs of their horses and the foot-soldiers that closed with him, and the elephant-riders from their elephants, spreading terror among the foe.

6.104.33 Against that single Bhīṣma, the great car-warrior pressing swiftly on in battle, the Pāṇḍavas closed in, as the Asuras against the wielder of the thunderbolt.

6.104.34 Loosing sharp arrows whose touch was like Indra's thunderbolt, he was seen in every quarter, bearing a terrible form.

6.104.35 As he fought in the battle, his great bow, like the bow of Indra, was seen forever drawn into a perfect circle.

6.104.36 Seeing that feat in battle, your sons, O lord of peoples, were filled with the highest wonder and did honor to the grandsire.

6.104.37 The sons of Pṛthā, grown downcast, gazed upon your sire, that hero fighting in the field, as the immortals once gazed upon Vipracitti; nor could they stay him, who was like Death with gaping jaws.

6.104.38 When the tenth day had come, he consumed Śikhaṇḍin's host of chariots with his sharp arrows, as the fire whose path is black consumes a forest.

6.104.39 Śikhaṇḍin pierced him with three arrows between the breasts — him who was like an enraged venomous serpent, like Death sent forth by Time.

6.104.40 Pierced thus most grievously, Bhīṣma, looking upon Śikhaṇḍin, though unwilling and wroth, said this with a laugh:

6.104.41 "Strike me if you will or do not — in no wise shall I fight you; for you remain the very Śikhaṇḍinī that the Creator made you."

6.104.42 Hearing that speech of his, Śikhaṇḍin, swooning with rage, licking the corners of his mouth, said to Bhīṣma in the battle:

6.104.43 "I know you, mighty-armed one, as the bringer of doom to the warriors; and I have heard of your battle with the son of Jamadagni.

6.104.44 This divine might of yours I have heard of many times; yet, knowing your might, I shall this day do battle with you.

6.104.45 Doing what pleases the Pāṇḍavas and myself, O best of men, this day I shall fight you in battle, O most excellent of men.

6.104.46 And surely I shall slay you — I swear it by truth before your face. Having heard this word of mine, do whatever you deem fit."

6.104.47 "Strike me if you will or do not — you shall not escape me alive. Look well upon this world, O Bhīṣma, victor in battle!"

6.104.48 Having spoken thus, he then pierced Bhīṣma in the battle, O king, with five straight-jointed arrows, after first driving home his shafts of words.

6.104.49 Hearing those words of his, the ambidextrous one, scorcher of foes, thinking 'This is the hour,' urged Śikhaṇḍin on:

6.104.50 "I shall follow close behind you, scattering the foe with my arrows. Charge, in furious wrath, upon Bhīṣma of terrible valor.

6.104.51 For the mighty one is not able to do you harm in battle; therefore this day, O mighty-armed hero, charge upon Bhīṣma.

6.104.52 If without slaying Bhīṣma in battle you turn away, good sir, you shall become, along with me, the laughingstock of this world.

6.104.53 That we may not become objects of mockery, O hero, in this great battle, so put forth your effort in the fight: bring down the grandsire.

6.104.54 I shall be your guard in the battle, O scorcher of foes, holding off all the chariot-warriors: bring down the grandsire.

6.104.55 Droṇa and Droṇa's son, and Kṛpa, and Suyodhana, and Citrasena and Vikarṇa, and the lord of Sindhu, Jayadratha,

6.104.56 Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja, and the heroic Bhagadatta, and the Māgadha, the great car-warrior —"

6.104.57 Saumadatti, the hero in battle, and Ārśyaśṛṅgi the rākṣasa, and the king of the Trigartas in the fray, together with all their great chariot-warriors—these I shall hold back, as the shore holds back the abode of sea-monsters.

6.104.58 And all the Kurus assembled, and whatever soldiers of theirs stand ready, I shall ward off in the battle; do you go after the grandsire.

6.105.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How did Śikhaṇḍin, the Pāñcāla, enraged in battle, rush upon the son of Gaṅgā, the grandsire, that righteous soul of steadfast vows?

6.105.2 Who among the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍava host, hastening in the hour of haste and eager for victory, guarded Śikhaṇḍin as he raised his weapon?

6.105.3 How did Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, that mighty hero, fight on that tenth day against the Pāṇḍavas together with the Sṛñjayas?

6.105.4 I cannot bear that Bhīṣma in battle was confronted by Śikhaṇḍin coming against him. Surely there was no breaking of his chariot, nor did his bow shatter as he shot?

6.105.5 Saṃjaya said: His bow did not shatter, nor was there any breaking of his chariot, O bull of the Bhāratas, while Bhīṣma fought in the engagement, slaying his foes in battle with arrows whose joints were well bent.

6.105.6 Many hundreds of thousands of your great chariot-warriors, O king, with their throngs of chariots and elephants and their well-caparisoned horses, advanced to battle, placing the grandsire at their head.

6.105.7 True to his vow, O Kaurava, Bhīṣma the conqueror in assemblies wrought a ceaseless slaughter among the hosts of the Pārthas.

6.105.8 As that great archer fought, striking down his enemies with arrows, the Pāñcālas together with the Pāṇḍavas, one and all, sought to ward him off.

6.105.9 When the tenth day had come, he scorched the army of his foes, strewing it with whetted shafts by hundreds and by thousands.

6.105.10 For the Pāṇḍavas, O ancestor of Pāṇḍu's line, were unable to vanquish in battle the great archer Bhīṣma, who was like Death with noose in hand.

6.105.11 Then, O great king, Savyasācin the scorcher of foes came forward, the unconquered Bībhatsu, terrifying all the chariot-warriors.

6.105.12 Roaring aloud like a lion, twanging his bowstring again and again, loosing floods of arrows, the Pārtha ranged through the battle like Time itself.

6.105.13 Terrified by his roar, O bull of the Bhāratas, your men fled in great fear, O king, like deer before a lion.

6.105.14 Seeing the Pāṇḍava triumphant and your army hard pressed, Duryodhana, himself sorely afflicted, then spoke to Bhīṣma:

6.105.15 "This son of Pāṇḍu, father, with his white horses and Kṛṣṇa for his charioteer, consumes all my men as fire, whose path is black, consumes a forest.

6.105.16 Behold, O son of Gaṅgā, the armies fleeing in every direction, driven off in the conflict, O best of warriors, by the Pāṇḍava.

6.105.17 As a herdsman drives his herds of cattle through the forest, so is this army of mine driven, O scorcher of foes.

6.105.18 Broken by Dhanaṃjaya's arrows, it flees this way and that; and this irresistible Bhīma scatters my forces.

6.105.19 Sātyaki and Cekitāna and the two Pāṇḍava sons of Mādrī, and valiant Abhimanyu—they burn up my host.

6.105.20 And the hero Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca, those two of mighty strength, have suddenly put my army to flight.

6.105.21 For this army, slaughtered by all these mighty ones, I see no other refuge to hold its ground and fight, O Bhārata,

6.105.22 save you, O tiger among men, whose prowess equals the gods'. You are equal to the task—be swiftly the refuge of the afflicted!"

6.105.23 Thus addressed, O great king, your father Devavrata, son of Śaṃtanu, having pondered a moment and made his resolve within himself, spoke to your son to steady him:

6.105.24 "Duryodhana, understand this and be steadfast, O lord of peoples. Long ago I made a vow to you, O mighty one:

6.105.25 that having slain ten thousand of the great-souled warriors I would withdraw from the field—this was to be my daily task; and that, O bull of the Bhāratas, I have done as I promised.

6.105.26 Today too I shall perform a mighty deed in the great battle: either I shall lie slain, or I shall slay the Pāṇḍavas this day.

6.105.27 This day, O tiger among men, I shall discharge the great debt I owe for my master's bread, O king, by falling slain at the head of the host."

6.105.28 Having spoken thus, that best of the Bhāratas, irresistible, scorching the warriors with his arrows, fell upon the army of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.105.29 As the son of Gaṅgā stood in the midst of the host, O bull of the Bhāratas, wrathful like a venomous serpent, the Pāṇḍavas surrounded him on every side.

6.105.30 But on that tenth day, displaying his own might, O king, O joy of the Kurus, he slew hundreds of thousands.

6.105.31 And of those mighty princes who were the foremost of the Pāñcālas, he drank up the splendor, as the sun with its rays drinks up water.

6.105.32 Having slain ten thousand swift elephants with their riders, O great king, and ten thousand horses besides,

6.105.33 and full two hundred thousand foot-soldiers, that best of men, Bhīṣma, blazed forth in the battle like a smokeless fire.

6.105.34 And none among the Pāṇḍavas could even look upon him, as upon the sun blazing when it has entered the northern path.

6.105.35 Then the Pāṇḍavas, enraged and afflicted by that great archer, together with the Sṛñjaya chariot-warriors, rushed upon Bhīṣma to slay him.

6.105.36 As he fought against the many, Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, that mighty-armed one, was then covered over like a mountain by dark clouds.

6.105.37 But your sons, with a great army, surrounded the son of Gaṅgā on every side; and thereupon the battle was joined.

6.106.1 Saṃjaya said: But Arjuna, O king, seeing Bhīṣma's prowess in the battle, then said to Śikhaṇḍin: "Go forth against the grandsire.

6.106.2 And no fear at all need you feel of Bhīṣma this day; I shall bring him down from his splendid chariot with my sharp arrows."

6.106.3 Thus addressed by the Pārtha, O bull of the Bhāratas, Śikhaṇḍin, hearing the Pārtha's words, charged upon the son of Gaṅgā.

6.106.4 So too, O king, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and the son of Subhadrā, that great chariot-warrior, hearing the Pārtha's words, rushed gladly upon Bhīṣma.

6.106.5 The aged Virāṭa and Drupada, and Kuntibhoja in his armor, charged upon the son of Gaṅgā while your son looked on.

6.106.6 Nakula and Sahadeva, and the valiant King of Righteousness, and all the other armies as well, O lord of peoples, hearing the Pārtha's words, rushed together upon the son of Gaṅgā.

6.106.7 And your warriors, assembled, advanced to meet those great chariot-warriors, each to the best of his strength and ardor; hear me as I recount it.

6.106.8 Citrasena, O great king, advanced against Cekitāna, who was moving in the battle eager to reach Bhīṣma, as a tiger-cub goes against a bull.

6.106.9 Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O great king, as he came near to Bhīṣma, intent and hastening in the battle, was checked by Kṛtavarman.

6.106.10 Bhīmasena, in great wrath and seeking the slaying of the son of Gaṅgā, was checked in haste, O great king, by Saumadatti.

6.106.11 Likewise the hero Nakula, scattering his many shafts, Vikarṇa warded off, desiring to save Bhīṣma's life.

6.106.12 And Sahadeva, as he pressed intent toward Bhīṣma's chariot, Kṛpa, son of Śaradvat, enraged, warded off in the fight.

6.106.13 Against the rākṣasa of cruel deeds, the son of Bhīmasena, mighty in strength and eager for Bhīṣma's death, the strong Durmukha charged.

6.106.14 Sātyaki, wrathful in the battle, Ārśyaśṛṅgi warded off; and Abhimanyu, O great king, as he advanced toward Bhīṣma's chariot, Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmboja, O great king, turned back.

6.106.15 The aged Virāṭa and Drupada, those two crushers of foes joined together, Aśvatthāman then in wrath held off, O Bhārata.

6.106.16 So too the eldest son of Pāṇḍu, who longed for Bhīṣma's slaying, the son of Bharadvāja, intent in the battle, held off—the son of Dharma.

6.106.17 Arjuna, impetuous in the fight, with Śikhaṇḍin placed before him, eager to reach Bhīṣma and scorching the ten directions, O great king, Duḥśāsana the great archer warded off in the engagement.

6.106.18 And other warriors of yours warded off in the battle the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas as they advanced toward Bhīṣma.

6.106.19 But Dhṛṣṭadyumna cried out to the armies again and again: "Rush in fury upon Bhīṣma alone, the mighty one!

6.106.20 This Arjuna, joy of the Kurus, advances in the battle against Bhīṣma. Rush in, fear not; for Bhīṣma shall not reach you.

6.106.21 Not even Vāsava would dare to fight Arjuna in battle—how much less Bhīṣma, O heroes, whose strength is spent and whose life is short!"

6.106.22 Hearing this from their commander, the great chariot-warriors of the Pāṇḍavas rushed forward, delighted, toward the chariot of the son of Gaṅgā.

6.106.23 As they came on in the battle like mighty floods of water, your bulls among men, delighted, held them back.

6.106.24 Duḥśāsana, O great king, that great chariot-warrior, casting off fear and longing to save Bhīṣma's life, rushed upon Dhanaṃjaya.

6.106.25 Likewise the heroic Pāṇḍavas rushed in the engagement toward the chariot of the son of Gaṅgā, against your sons, the great chariot-warriors.

6.106.26 There we beheld a marvel of wondrous form, O lord of peoples: that the Pārtha, having reached Duḥśāsana's chariot, could not pass beyond it.

6.106.27 As the shore holds back the turbulent great ocean, so did your son hold back the wrathful Pāṇḍava.

6.106.28 For both were the foremost of chariot-warriors, both hard to conquer, O Bhārata; both were like the moon and the sun in beauty and in radiance, O Bhārata.

6.106.29 Both thus roused to fury, each longing for the other's death, they met in the great battle as Maya and Śakra met of old.

6.106.30 Duḥśāsana, O great king, struck the Pāṇḍava with three shafts and Vāsudeva with twenty in the engagement.

6.106.31 Then Arjuna, his anger kindled at the sight of the Vārṣṇeya struck, pierced Duḥśāsana in the fight with a hundred iron shafts; and they, cleaving his armor, drank his blood in the battle.

6.106.32 Then Duḥśāsana in wrath pierced the Pārtha in the forehead with five arrows whose joints were well bent, O best of the Bhāratas.

6.106.33 With those arrows set in his forehead, that best of the Pāṇḍavas shone, O great king, like Meru with its peaks towering exceedingly high.

6.106.34 Sorely pierced by your son the bowman, that great archer, the Pārtha, glowed in the battle like a kiṃśuka tree in flower.

6.106.35 Then the Pāṇḍava in wrath afflicted Duḥśāsana, as fierce Rāhu in fury afflicts the moon on the day of conjunction.

6.106.36 Hard pressed by that mighty one, your son, O lord of peoples, pierced the Pārtha in the battle with heron-feathered shafts whetted on stone.

6.106.37 The valiant Pārtha, swiftly cutting his bow, then struck your son thereafter with nine arrows.

6.106.38 He, taking up another bow and standing before Bhīṣma, struck Arjuna with twenty-five shafts in the arms and on the breast.

6.106.39 Enraged at him, O great king, the Pāṇḍava, tormentor of foes, dispatched many terrible shafts like the rods of Yama.

6.106.40 Those arrows of the striving Pārtha your son cut down before they reached him—that seemed a marvel; and your son pierced the Pārtha with whetted shafts.

6.106.41 Then the Pārtha in wrath, fitting his arrows to the bow, loosed in the battle golden-feathered shafts whetted on stone.

6.106.42 Those arrows sank into the body of that great-souled one, O great king, even as swans, O descendant of Bharata, plunge into a pond they have reached.

6.106.43 Hard pressed by the great-souled Pāṇḍava, your son left Pārtha in the battle and swiftly took refuge with Bhīṣma's chariot; and as he was sinking in those fathomless depths, Bhīṣma became his island.

6.106.44 Then, regaining his senses, your son, O lord of peoples, that valiant hero, once more held his ground and showed his prowess.

6.106.45 With keenly whetted arrows that hero of great might pierced Pārtha, as Vṛtra once pierced Purandara, and he flinched not at all before Arjuna.

6.107.1 Saṃjaya said: As mailed Sātyaki rose up in the battle against Bhīṣma, the son of Ṛśyaśṛṅga, that mighty archer, held him in check in the fray.

6.107.2 But Mādhava, greatly enraged, struck the rākṣasa in the battle with nine arrows, O king, as if smiling the while, O descendant of Bharata.

6.107.3 Likewise the rākṣasa, O king, in his fury tormented Mādhava, that bull of the Śini line, with sharpened arrows, O king of kings.

6.107.4 Then the descendant of Śini, that Mādhava, slayer of enemy heroes, in great wrath sent forth a mass of arrows at the rākṣasa in the fray.

6.107.5 Thereupon the rākṣasa pierced the mighty-armed Sātyaki of true valor with keen arrows, and roared aloud with a lion's roar.

6.107.6 But Mādhava, though sorely wounded by the rākṣasa in the battle, that glorious one, holding fast to his steadiness, both laughed and roared.

6.107.7 Then Bhagadatta, enraged, struck Mādhava in the battle with sharpened arrows, as one goads a great elephant with the spiked driving-hooks.

6.107.8 Leaving the rākṣasa in the combat, the descendant of Śini, foremost of chariot-warriors, hurled smooth-jointed arrows at the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa.

6.107.9 The king of Prāgjyotiṣa, with a sharp-edged broad-headed shaft, cut asunder the great bow of Mādhava, as one skilled of hand.

6.107.10 Then, taking up another swift bow, that slayer of enemy heroes, enraged, pierced Bhagadatta in the battle with sharpened arrows.

6.107.11 That mighty archer, deeply wounded, licking the corners of his mouth again and again, hurled at Sātyaki a fearsome spear of iron, firm, adorned with gold and lapis, like unto the rod of Yama.

6.107.12 As it came hurtling suddenly, sped by the strength of that arm, Sātyaki in the battle, O king, cut it into three with his arrows; and it fell then to the earth like a great meteor with its luster quenched.

6.107.13 Seeing the spear struck down, your son, O lord of peoples, held Mādhava in check with a great host of chariots.

6.107.14 Seeing that great chariot-warrior of the Vṛṣṇis thus surrounded, Duryodhana, exceedingly pleased, spoke to all his brothers.

6.107.15 "Act so, O Kauravas, that Sātyaki shall not come forth alive from this great press of chariots; for once he is slain, I deem the mighty strength of the Pāṇḍavas slain."

6.107.16 Accepting his word with "So be it," those great chariot-warriors then fell to fighting the descendant of Śini before the eyes of Bhīṣma.

6.107.17 As Abhimanyu then came on, rising up against Bhīṣma in the fight, the mighty king of the Kāmbojas held him in check in the fray.

6.107.18 Arjuna's son, having pierced the king with smooth-jointed arrows, struck that king once again, O king, with sixty-four shafts.

6.107.19 But Sudakṣiṇa, in the battle, pierced the son of Kṛṣṇā's lord with five arrows and his charioteer with nine, wishing to preserve Bhīṣma's life.

6.107.20 Mighty was that combat there in their display of prowess, even as Śikhaṇḍin, scorcher of foes, rushed upon the son of Gaṅgā.

6.107.21 The aged Virāṭa and Drupada, those two great chariot-warriors, holding back the mighty host, in their fury rushed upon Bhīṣma in the battle.

6.107.22 Then Aśvatthāman, that best of chariot-warriors, came on enraged; and thereupon a battle broke out between your men and theirs, O descendant of Bharata.

6.107.23 Virāṭa, O scorcher of foes, struck with ten broad-headed shafts the son of Droṇa, that mighty archer who shone in battle as he strove.

6.107.24 And Drupada, drawing near, pierced the preceptor's son with three sharp arrows as he stood before Bhīṣma.

6.107.25 Then Aśvatthāman pierced both of them with ten arrows—the aged Virāṭa and Drupada, who had risen up against Bhīṣma.

6.107.26 There we beheld a marvel, the great feat of those two aged ones, in that they warded off the dreadful arrows of Droṇa's son in the fight.

6.107.27 As Sahadeva thus came on, Kṛpa, son of Śaradvat, advanced against him, as in the forest a rutting elephant charges another in rut.

6.107.28 And Kṛpa, in the battle, O king, swiftly struck the son of Mādrī, that great chariot-warrior, with seventy gold-decked arrows.

6.107.29 The son of Mādrī cut his bow in two with his arrows, and then pierced that bowless one with nine shafts.

6.107.30 Taking up another bow fit for the heavy work of battle, he, well pleased and enraged, struck the son of Mādrī upon the breast with ten sharpened arrows, wishing to preserve Bhīṣma's life.

6.107.31 In like manner the Pāṇḍava, O king, enraged, in his desire to slay Bhīṣma, struck the wrathful son of Śaradvat upon the breast; and a combat broke out between the two, dreadful of aspect and terrifying.

6.107.32 But Vikarṇa, scorcher of foes, pierced the enraged Nakula in battle with sixty arrows, guarding the life of Bhīṣma.

6.107.33 Nakula too, sorely wounded by your bow-wielding son, pierced Vikarṇa with seventy-seven sharp arrows.

6.107.34 There those two tigers among men, scorchers of foes, for Bhīṣma's sake, those two heroes smote each other like two bulls in a cattle-pen.

6.107.35 As Ghaṭotkaca strove in the battle, smiting your host, the valiant Durmukha advanced against him in the fray for Bhīṣma's sake.

6.107.36 Then the son of Hiḍimbā, O king, enraged, struck Durmukha, scorcher of foes, upon the breast with ninety sharpened arrows.

6.107.37 And Durmukha, that hero, exultant and roaring, pierced the son of Bhīmasena with sixty fair-pointed arrows at the head of the battle.

6.107.38 As Dhṛṣṭadyumna came on in the battle, eager to slay Bhīṣma, the son of Hṛdika held him in check, guarding the life of Bhīṣma.

6.107.39 The Vṛṣṇi hero, having pierced the brave son of Pṛṣata with five iron arrows, swiftly struck him again upon the breast with fifty more.

6.107.40 In like manner the son of Pṛṣata, O king, pierced the son of Hṛdika with nine keen, sharp arrows fledged with heron feathers.

6.107.41 A combat arose between the two in that great battle for Bhīṣma's sake, each striving to surpass the other, as once between Vṛtra and the great Indra.

6.107.42 As mighty Bhīmasena then came on toward Bhīṣma, Bhūriśravas swiftly advanced against him and cried, "Stand! Stand!"

6.107.43 Then the son of Somadatta struck Bhīma upon the breast in the fray with a very sharp iron shaft fletched with gold.

6.107.44 With that shaft lodged in his breast, the valiant Bhīmasena shone, O best of kings, as the Krauñca mountain of old with the spear of Skanda.

6.107.45 The two, enraged, cast at each other again and again in the battle arrows bright as the sun, polished by the smith.

6.107.46 Bhīma, eager to slay Bhīṣma, and the great chariot-warrior son of Somadatta, greedy for Bhīṣma's victory—each repaying blow with blow, the two fought on intently in the battle.

6.107.47 As Yudhiṣṭhira, O great king, surrounded by a mighty host, advanced straight toward Bhīṣma, the son of Bharadvāja held him in check.

6.107.48 Hearing the roar of Droṇa's chariot, like the thunder of the storm-cloud, the Prabhadrakas, O king, trembled, O honored one.

6.107.49 That great army of the son of Pāṇḍu, O king, checked in the fray by Droṇa, held firm and stirred not a step from its place.

6.107.50 As Cekitāna, enraged, advanced against Bhīṣma in the battle, O lord of men, your son Citrasena, terrible in his wrath, held him in check.

6.107.51 Putting forth his strength for Bhīṣma's sake, the great chariot-warrior Citrasena fought Cekitāna with utmost might, O descendant of Bharata.

6.107.52 Likewise Cekitāna too fought Citrasena; and mighty indeed was that combat there in their display of prowess.

6.107.53 But Arjuna, again and again checked by your son, turned that son of yours away and crushed your army.

6.107.54 Duḥśāsana too, with utmost might, held Pārtha in check, resolved that no enemy should slay Bhīṣma, O descendant of Bharata.

6.107.55 That host of your son, slaughtered in the battle, was churned up here and there by the foremost of chariot-warriors, O descendant of Bharata.

6.108.1 Saṃjaya said: Then the heroic mighty archer, with the prowess of a rutting elephant, taking up his great bow that could turn back a rutting elephant—

6.108.2 —that great chariot-warrior, brandishing his excellent bow, putting the great chariot-warriors to flight and laying low the army of the Pāṇḍavas—

6.108.3 —Droṇa, valiant and skilled in reading omens, surveying the portents on every side as he scorched the hostile ranks, spoke to his son:

6.108.4 "This is the day, dear son, on which the great chariot-warrior Pārtha, eager to slay Bhīṣma in the battle, will make his utmost effort.

6.108.5 For my arrows leap upward, my bow seems to quiver of itself, my weapons turn ready for use, and my mind dwells upon cruelty.

6.108.6 Though the quarters are still, beasts and birds cry out fearsomely, and the vultures settle low, facing the army of the Bhāratas.

6.108.7 The sun seems to have lost its splendor, the quarters are red on every side; the earth resounds and trembles, and the draught-beasts groan.

6.108.8 Herons, vultures, and cranes cry out again and again, and jackals with their inauspicious howls portend a great terror.

6.108.9 A great meteor has fallen through the midst of the sun's orb, and a headless trunk-shaped bar of darkness stands veiling the sun.

6.108.10 A dreadful halo too has formed about the moon and the sun, portending a fearful terror, the dismembering of the bodies of kings.

6.108.11 And the deities set in the shrines of the lord of the Kauravas tremble and laugh and dance and weep.

6.108.12 The planets have circled the moon, robber of its luster, from the inauspicious side, and the blessed moon has risen with its head turned downward.

6.108.13 I mark, too, that the bodies of the kings seem drained of luster, and in the armies of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son the mailed warriors shine not.

6.108.14 And throughout both armies on every side is heard the great blast of the Pāñcajanya and the twang of the Gāṇḍīva.

6.108.15 Surely, taking his stand and loosing his finest weapons in the fray, Bībhatsu, setting aside the other warriors in the battle, drives straight at the grandsire.

6.108.16 The pores of my skin bristle, and my mind seems to sink, mighty-armed one, as I ponder the meeting of Bhīṣma and Arjuna.

6.108.17 Setting before him that Pāñcāla of crooked cunning and evil mind, Pārtha has gone to the battle-ground of Bhīṣma.

6.108.18 And of old Bhīṣma declared: 'I will not slay Śikhaṇḍin, for by the Ordainer this one was fashioned a woman, and only by fate is he now a man.'

6.108.19 The great chariot-warrior, son of Yajñasena, bears an inauspicious standard; and the son of the River-goddess would not strike at one whose emblem is ill-omened.

6.108.20 As I ponder all this, my understanding sinks utterly; for this very day in the battle Pārtha has rushed upon the aged Kuru elder.

6.108.21 The wrath of Yudhiṣṭhira, the meeting of Bhīṣma and Arjuna, and the fury of my own weapons—surely all this bodes ill for the creatures of the world."

6.108.22 High-spirited, strong, and valiant, master of his weapons and firm in prowess, striking from afar with unerring shafts, and reading the omens well — such is the son of Pāṇḍu.

6.108.23 Unconquerable in battle even by the gods with Vāsava at their head, mighty and wise, having mastered all hardship, he is the foremost of warriors.

6.108.24 Ever victorious in war and wielder of terrible weapons is this son of Pāṇḍu. Avoiding his path, go swiftly, you whose vows are firm.

6.108.25 Behold, O mighty-armed one, the carnage that has drawn near — the great and splendid armor of heroes, wrought with gold,

6.108.26 these coats of mail are being shattered by arrows with their well-jointed shafts, and the tips of banners, the lances, and the bows are being cut to pieces,

6.108.27 and the bright keen spears, the gold-gleaming javelins, and the pennons of the elephants — all by the wrath of the Diademed One.

6.108.28 This is no time for those who live for their sons to guard their lives. Go forth, setting heaven before you, for glory and for victory.

6.108.29 This warrior whose banner bears the ape crosses in his chariot the river of battle — most dreadful and hard to ford, its whirlpools the steeds, the elephants, and the cars.

6.108.30 Devotion to the brāhmaṇas, self-restraint, generosity, and great austerity practiced — all this is seen here in the king whose brother is Dhanaṃjaya.

6.108.31 Mighty Bhīmasena, the two sons of Mādrī, and Vāsudeva of the Vṛṣṇis — these stand as his protectors.

6.108.32 Born of his wrath against the evil-minded son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the anger of that king, his body seared by penance, now consumes the Bhāratas.

6.108.33 There Pārtha is seen, with Vāsudeva for his refuge, rending utterly all the armies of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's son on every side.

6.108.34 Behold this host being thrown into turmoil by the Diademed One, like the vast mouth of a river bound up with great waves and churned by a leviathan.

6.108.35 Cries of woe and shrieks of dismay are heard at the front of the army. Go you against the heir of the Pāñcālas; I shall go against Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.108.36 Hard indeed to find is an opening to the king's battle-array of boundless splendor — like the belly of the ocean, hemmed in on every side by mighty car-warriors who stand their ground.

6.108.37 Sātyaki and Abhimanyu, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Vṛkodara, and the twins guard the king, that lord of men, on every side.

6.108.38 Dark like Upendra, towering like a great sāla tree risen up, this one advances against the ranks like a second Phalguna.

6.108.39 Take up your finest weapons, and grasping another great bow, advance to the king's flank and do battle with Vṛkodara.

6.108.40 For who would not wish his beloved son to live through endless years? Yet setting the duty of a kṣatriya foremost, I therefore appoint you to this task.

6.108.41 And there too Bhīṣma in battle consumes the great host — in combat, dear son, the very peer of Yama and of Varuṇa.

6.109.1 Saṃjaya said: Bhagadatta, Kṛpa, Śalya, and Kṛtavarman of the Sātvatas, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Jayadratha the lord of the Sindhus —

6.109.2 Citrasena and Vikarṇa, and the youthful Durmarṣaṇa — these ten warriors of your side gave battle to Bhīmasena.

6.109.3 Joined with a mighty host gathered from many lands, O king, they sought in the battle great renown for Bhīṣma's sake.

6.109.4 Śalya then struck Bhīmasena with nine arrows, Kṛtavarman with three, and Kṛpa with nine shafts.

6.109.5 Citrasena, Vikarṇa, and Bhagadatta, O venerable one, each struck Bhīmasena with ten broad-headed shafts.

6.109.6 And the lord of the Sindhus struck him with three arrows upon the collarbone; Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti with five shafts each; and Durmarṣaṇa pierced the son of Pāṇḍu with twenty sharpened arrows.

6.109.7 Then, O great king, the mighty Bhīmasena pierced them all with many arrows — those resplendent heroes, the great car-warriors of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's party, renowned throughout the world — each one in turn.

6.109.8 Having pierced Śalya with fifty shafts and Kṛtavarman with eight, he cut through the middle of Kṛpa's bow together with its arrow, O Bhārata; and when his bow was broken, he pierced him again with five.

6.109.9 And he struck Vinda and Anuvinda with three arrows each, Durmarṣaṇa with twenty, and Citrasena with five.

6.109.10 Having pierced Vikarṇa with ten arrows and Jayadratha with five, Bhīma roared in delight, and struck the lord of the Sindhus once more with three.

6.109.11 Then, taking up another bow, the descendant of Gautama, foremost of car-warriors, pierced Bhīma in his fury with ten sharpened arrows.

6.109.12 Pierced by many arrows like a great elephant by goads, the mighty-armed and valorous Bhīmasena, enraged, then struck the descendant of Gautama with a host of shafts in the fray.

6.109.13 Then, with a splendor like that of Time the ender, he dispatched the steeds and the charioteer of the Sindhu lord to the realm of death with three arrows.

6.109.14 Swiftly leaping down from his car whose horses were slain, that great car-warrior hurled sharp arrows at Bhīmasena in the battle.

6.109.15 With two broad-headed shafts, O best of the Bhāratas, Bhīma cut through the middle of the bow of that high-souled lord of the Sindhus.

6.109.16 His bow severed, his car undone, his horses and charioteer slain, he climbed in haste, O king, onto the chariot of Citrasena.

6.109.17 A most wondrous deed the son of Pāṇḍu wrought there in the battle: that great car-warrior, having pierced and held off the mighty car-warriors with his arrows, stripped the Sindhu lord of his chariot before the eyes of all the world.

6.109.18 Śalya could ill brook the prowess of Bhīmasena. Fitting to his bow sharp arrows burnished by the smith, he pierced Bhīma with seventy of them, crying, "Stand! Stand!"

6.109.19 And Kṛpa, Kṛtavarman, and Bhagadatta, O venerable one, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Citrasena in the battle,

6.109.20 Durmarṣaṇa and Vikarṇa, and the valiant king of the Sindhus — those tamers of foes swiftly pierced Bhīma for Śalya's sake.

6.109.21 But he pierced them in return with five arrows each, and pierced Śalya with seventy, and again with ten shafts.

6.109.22 Śalya, having pierced him with nine, pierced him again with five, and struck his charioteer deep in a vital part with a broad-headed shaft.

6.109.23 Seeing Viśoka pierced through, the valorous Bhīmasena planted three arrows in the arms and breast of the king of the Madras.

6.109.24 And the other great archers he struck, each with three straight-flying shafts, in the battle, and roared like a lion.

6.109.25 Those great archers, striving hard, struck the son of Pāṇḍu, intoxicated with battle, fiercely in his vital parts, each with three keen-pointed shafts.

6.109.26 Yet though sorely pierced, the great archer Bhīmasena did not waver — like a mountain under the streaming torrents of raining clouds.

6.109.27 And having fiercely pierced Śalya with nine arrows, the greatly renowned one pierced the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa firmly in battle with a hundred, O king.

6.109.28 Then with a very sharp razor-edged shaft he cut, with the skill of a deft hand, the bow of the high-souled Sātvata together with its arrow.

6.109.29 Then, taking up another bow, Kṛtavarman struck Vṛkodara between the brows with an iron shaft, O scorcher of foes.

6.109.30 But Bhīma in the battle, having pierced Śalya with nine iron shafts, Bhagadatta with three and Kṛtavarman with eight,

6.109.31 pierced the car-warriors led by Gautama with two arrows each; and they in turn, O king, pierced him in the battle with sharpened shafts.

6.109.32 Though thus afflicted on every side by those great car-warriors, he, accounting them no more than blades of grass, ranged about free of distress.

6.109.33 And those foremost of car-warriors, unflustered, sent forth at Bhīma their sharpened arrows by the hundreds and the thousands.

6.109.34 At him the heroic great car-warrior Bhagadatta hurled in the battle a javelin of great speed, gold-shafted and of great worth.

6.109.35 The Sindhu king cast a lance, and the mighty-armed one a barbed spear; Kṛpa hurled a śataghnī, O king, and Śalya an arrow in the fight.

6.109.36 Then the other great archers, aiming at Bhīmasena, sent forth five arrows each with all their might.

6.109.37 The son of the Wind cleft the lance in two with a razor-edged shaft, and cut the barbed spear with three arrows as if it were a sesame stalk.

6.109.38 And the mighty one shattered the śataghnī with nine heron-feathered shafts, and cut down the arrow loosed by the king of the Madras.

6.109.39 Swiftly he cut down the javelin hurled by Bhagadatta in the battle, and likewise the other dreadful shafts with his own well-jointed arrows.

6.109.40 Bhīmasena, glorying in war, clove each one of them into three, and struck all those great archers, each with three shafts.

6.109.41 Then, while that great battle raged, Dhanaṃjaya advanced there in his car, beholding the great car-warrior Bhīma — striking down the foes in the fray and contending with his arrows.

6.109.42 And beholding those two high-souled sons of Pāṇḍu joined together there, your men no longer hoped for victory, O bull among men.

6.109.43 Then Arjuna, contending in the battle with the great car-warrior Bhīṣma and longing for Bhīṣma's death, placed Śikhaṇḍin before him,

6.109.44 and fell upon those ten warriors of your side in the battle, O Bhārata, who stood there fighting against Bhīma, O king; and Bībhatsu pierced them, wishing to do Bhīma a kindness.

6.109.45 Then king Duryodhana urged on Suśarman for the slaying of both Arjuna and Bhīmasena.

6.109.46 "Suśarman, go swiftly, encompassed by your floods of troops, and slay these two sons of Pāṇḍu, Dhanaṃjaya and Vṛkodara."

6.109.47 Hearing that command of his, the Trigarta lord of Prasthala rushed in the battle upon Bhīma and Arjuna, those two bowmen,

6.109.48 and surrounded them on every side with chariots by the many thousands; thereupon the battle began between Arjuna and his foes.

6.110.1 Saṃjaya said: But Arjuna in the battle covered the striving great car-warrior Śalya with his well-jointed arrows.

6.110.2 He pierced Suśarman and Kṛpa with three arrows each, and the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa in the battle, and Jayadratha of the Sindhus,

6.110.3 and Citrasena and Vikarṇa and Kṛtavarman too, and Durmarṣaṇa, O lord of kings, and the two great car-warriors of Avanti —

6.110.4 each one he struck with three arrows fledged with the feathers of heron and peacock, that surpassing car-warrior, harrying your host in the fight.

6.110.5 Jayadratha in the battle, having pierced Pārtha with arrows, O Bhārata, swiftly pierced Bhīma, standing upon the chariot of Citrasena.

6.110.6 And Śalya in the battle, and Kṛpa the foremost of car-warriors, pierced the mighty-armed Jiṣṇu again and again with vital-piercing shafts.

6.110.7 And your sons led by Citrasena, O lord of peoples, swiftly in the battle struck Arjuna in the fray and Bhīmasena, O venerable one, each with five sharpened arrows.

6.110.8 Those two foremost of car-warriors, the sons of Kuntī, bulls among the Bhāratas, harried in the battle the great force of the Trigartas.

6.110.9 Suśarman too in the battle, having pierced Pārtha with many iron shafts, roared a mighty roar that made the very vault of heaven resound.

6.110.10 And other valiant car-warriors pierced Bhīmasena and Dhanaṃjaya with sharpened arrows, gold-nocked and straight-flying.

6.110.11 In the midst of those car-warriors the two sons of Kuntī, foremost of car-warriors, sporting in their splendid chariots and wondrous in form, shone resplendent — like two lions fierce in strength, greedy for prey, amid a herd of cattle.

6.110.12 Cutting asunder the bows of the heroes and their arrows in many ways in the battle, those two warriors struck down the heads of men by the hundreds.

6.110.13 Many chariots were shattered and horses slain by the hundred, and elephants together with their riders fell upon the earth in that great battle.

6.110.14 Charioteers and horsemen, struck down here and there, O king, were seen on every side writhing in their numbers.

6.110.15 With slaughtered hosts of elephants and foot-soldiers, with horses cut down, and with chariots broken in their multitudes, the earth was overspread.

6.110.16 With parasols hacked to pieces and banners cast down, with goads flung away and with horse-cloths, O Bhārata,

6.110.17 with armlets, bracelets, and necklaces, with trampled deerskin coverlets, with turbans flung away, and with yak-tail fans as well,

6.110.18 and here and there with the sandal-anointed arms and thighs of kings strewn about, the earth was overspread.

6.110.19 There we beheld the wondrous prowess of Pārtha in battle: checking those heroes with his arrows, he struck down your host.

6.110.20 But your son, beholding that onset of Bhīma and Arjuna, drew near to the chariot of the son of Gaṅgā in that great peril.

6.110.21 And Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman, and Jayadratha lord of the Sindhus, and the two Avantis Vinda and Anuvinda then came to the fray.

6.110.22 Then Bhīma the mighty archer and Phalguna the great chariot-warrior charged furiously against the dread host of the Kauravas in battle.

6.110.23 Then tens of thousands and millions of peacock-feathered arrows they swiftly let fall upon the chariot of Dhanaṃjaya in the encounter.

6.110.24 Then Pārtha, warding off those great chariot-warriors with a net of arrows, dispatched them on every side in battle to their death.

6.110.25 But Śalya, that great chariot-warrior, as though in sport, in his wrath struck Jiṣṇu upon the chest with smooth-jointed broad-headed shafts.

6.110.26 Pārtha, cutting through his bow and his leather guard with five arrows, then pierced him sorely in the vitals with keen shafts.

6.110.27 Then the lord of the Madras, taking up another bow able to bear the strain, enraged, smote Jiṣṇu in battle.

6.110.28 With three arrows, O great king, he struck Vāsudeva, with five, and Bhīmasena with nine, planting them in their arms and chests.

6.110.29 Then Droṇa, O great king, and the Māgadha, that great chariot-warrior, at Duryodhana's command, drew near to that place,

6.110.30 where Pārtha, O great king, and Bhīmasena the Pāṇḍava, those two great chariot-warriors, were slaying the mighty host of Kaurava.

6.110.31 But young Jayatsena in battle pierced Bhīma of dreadful weapons with eight whetted arrows, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.110.32 Bhīma, piercing him with ten arrows, struck him again with seven, and with a broad-headed shaft swept his charioteer from the chariot-seat.

6.110.33 Then by his frenzied horses, racing off in every direction, the Māgadha king was carried away while the whole army looked on.

6.110.34 But Droṇa, finding an opening, pierced Bhīmasena with sixty-five sharp-honed iron shafts.

6.110.35 Bhīma, glorious in battle, pierced that teacher, who was as a father to him, with nine broad-headed shafts and then with sixty, O Bhārata.

6.110.36 But Arjuna, piercing Suśarman with many iron shafts, scattered his army as the wind scatters great clouds.

6.110.37 Then Bhīṣma and the king, and the son of Subala, and Bṛhadbala, full of wrath, rushed upon Bhīmasena and Dhanaṃjaya.

6.110.38 So too the valiant Pāṇḍavas and Dhṛṣṭadyumna the son of Pṛṣata rushed in battle upon Bhīṣma, who was like Death with jaws agape.

6.110.39 And Śikhaṇḍin, drawing near to the grandsire of the Bhāratas, charged him exultantly, casting off all fear, against that man of steadfast vows.

6.110.40 The sons of Pṛthā, led by Yudhiṣṭhira, placing Śikhaṇḍin at their head, fought Bhīṣma in battle, united together with the Sṛñjayas.

6.110.41 In like manner all your men, placing the man of steadfast vows at their head, fought the sons of Pṛthā led by Śikhaṇḍin in the encounter.

6.110.42 Then there arose a battle fearful to the Kauravas, between Bhīṣma and the sons of Pāṇḍu, contending for the victory.

6.110.43 In that battle Bhīṣma was the stake of your men, O lord of peoples; for there the game of dice had come round, for victory or for the contrary.

6.110.44 Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O great king, urged on all the troops: 'Charge upon the son of Gaṅgā! Fear not, O best of men!'

6.110.45 Hearing the words of their commander, the host of the Pāṇḍavas, casting aside their very lives in that great battle, swiftly advanced upon Bhīṣma alone.

6.110.46 And Bhīṣma, foremost of chariot-warriors, received that onrushing host, O great king, as the great ocean receives its shore.

6.111.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How, O Saṃjaya, did Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu fight on the tenth day against the mighty Pāṇḍavas together with the Sṛñjayas?

6.111.2 And how did the Kurus in the fighting hold back the Pāṇḍavas? Tell me of the great battle of Bhīṣma, resplendent in war.

6.111.3 Saṃjaya said: How the Kurus fought together with the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata, and how that battle came to pass, I shall tell you as you listen.

6.111.4 Day after day the bands of chariots of your men, dispatched to the other world by the Diademed One with his supreme weapons, met their end.

6.111.5 And the Kaurava Bhīṣma, victorious in assemblies of war, true to his vow, wrought continual havoc among the hosts of the sons of Pṛthā.

6.111.6 Beholding Bhīṣma, that great chariot-warrior, fighting joined with the Kurus, and Arjuna with the Pāñcālas, men were filled with doubt as to the outcome.

6.111.7 On that tenth day, in that clash of Bhīṣma and Arjuna, there raged a most terrible and unceasing destruction of the hosts.

6.111.8 Therein, O king, Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, that scorcher of foes, knower of the supreme weapons, slew warriors by the ten thousand and yet more.

6.111.9 Those whose names and lineages were all but unknown, O king—all those heroes who turned not back were there slain by Bhīṣma.

6.111.10 Then, having scorched the Pāṇḍava host for ten days, Bhīṣma, righteous of soul, that scorcher of foes, grew weary of his life.

6.111.11 Swiftly seeking his own slaughter, face to face in battle, he thought: 'Let me not strike down these best of men who stand before me in the fray.'

6.111.12 So having reflected, the mighty-armed Devavrata, your father, O great king, spoke these words to the Pāṇḍava who stood near at hand:

6.111.13 'Yudhiṣṭhira, deeply wise, versed in all the scriptures, hear, my son, the word I speak, righteous and leading to heaven.'

6.111.14 'I am utterly weary, my son, of this body of mine, O Bhārata; and my time has been spent in slaying very many living beings in battle.'

6.111.15 'Therefore, placing Pārtha at the fore, together with the Pāñcālas and the Sṛñjayas, let effort be made for my slaying, if you would do me a kindness.'

6.111.16 Knowing that intent of his, the Pāṇḍava of truthful vision advanced intently against Bhīṣma in battle, together with the Sṛñjayas.

6.111.17 Then Dhṛṣṭadyumna, O king, and the Pāṇḍava Yudhiṣṭhira, having heard that speech of Bhīṣma, urged on their host.

6.111.18 'Charge! Fight! Conquer Bhīṣma in the encounter, guarded as you are by the truthful-vowed Jiṣṇu, victor over his foes!'

6.111.19 'And this mighty archer too, the son of Pṛṣata, commander of the host, and Bhīmasena in battle, will surely protect you.'

6.111.20 'No fear at all need be felt of Bhīṣma in the fight, O Sṛñjayas; surely we shall conquer Bhīṣma, placing Śikhaṇḍin at our head.'

6.111.21 Having thus made their compact, on the tenth day the Pāṇḍavas, intent on the world of Brahmā, came together swooning with wrath.

6.111.22 Placing Śikhaṇḍin and the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya at their head, they set themselves to the utmost effort for the felling of Bhīṣma.

6.111.23 Then, at the command of your son, the lords of many lands, mighty in strength, together with their armies, with Droṇa and his son,

6.111.24 and the powerful Duḥśāsana with all his brothers, then guarded Bhīṣma stationed in the midst of the battle.

6.111.25 Then your heroes, placing the man of steadfast vows at their head, fought the sons of Pṛthā led by Śikhaṇḍin in the encounter.

6.111.26 And he of the monkey-bannered chariot, joined with the Cedis and the Pāñcālas, advanced against Bhīṣma the son of Śaṃtanu, placing Śikhaṇḍin at the fore.

6.111.27 The grandson of Śini fought the son of Droṇa, Dhṛṣṭaketu the Paurava, and Yudhāmanyu fought Duryodhana together with his counsellors.

6.111.28 And Virāṭa, that scorcher of foes, with his army, closed with Jayadratha, heir of Vṛddhakṣatra, together with his host.

6.111.29 Yudhiṣṭhira, guarded by Bhīmasena, fell upon the mighty archer the king of the Madras with his army, and upon the elephant-division.

6.111.30 Against Droṇa—unassailable, irresistible, foremost of all bearers of weapons—the prince of Pāñcāla advanced intently together with the Somakas.

6.111.31 And the prince Bṛhadbala, the lion-bannered subduer of foes, advanced to meet the son of Subhadrā, whose banner bore the karṇikāra blossom.

6.111.32 And your sons, together with the kings, eager to slay, fell in battle upon Śikhaṇḍin and the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya.

6.111.33 In that most dreadful clash of valour between the two armies, as the divisions charged headlong, the earth quaked.

6.111.34 Those divisions, O Bhārata, clashed division against division, of your men and of the foe, at the sight of the son of Śaṃtanu in battle.

6.111.35 Then from those striving warriors rushing upon one another, a great clamour arose in all the quarters, O Bhārata.

6.111.36 With the blare of conches and kettledrums, with the trumpeting of elephants, and with the lions' roars of the troops, it grew terrible.

6.111.37 And the splendour of all those kings, like that of the moon and the sun, upon the armlets and diadems of the heroes, grew dimmed.

6.111.38 Clouds of dust arose, wreathed about with the lightning of weapons, and the twang of the bows grew terrible.

6.111.39 The whir of arrows, the blast of conches, the great din of drums, and the rumble of chariots all blended together in both the armies.

6.111.40 Thronged with masses of darts, spears, and lances, and with floods of arrows, the sky above the two armies grew as if without light.

6.111.41 Charioteers and horsemen fell upon one another in that great battle; elephants slew elephants, and foot-soldiers slew foot-soldiers.

6.111.42 That was a mighty battle of the Kurus with the Pāṇḍavas for Bhīṣma's sake, O tiger among men, as of two hawks contending for a piece of flesh.

6.111.43 Terrible was the encounter of those two hosts in the fight, O Bhārata, each bent on the slaughter of the other, eager for victory on the field of battle.

6.112.1 Saṃjaya said: Abhimanyu, O great king, valiant and joined with a great host, fought your son for Bhīṣma's sake.

6.112.2 Duryodhana, wrathful in battle, struck the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister with nine smooth-jointed shafts, and then again with three arrows.

6.112.3 At him the son of Kṛṣṇa's sister, in fury, hurled in battle a lance dreadful as Death's own sister, straight toward Duryodhana's chariot.

6.112.4 As that dread-shaped spear came hurtling suddenly upon him, O lord of peoples, your son, the great chariot-warrior, clove it in two with a razor-edged arrow.

6.112.5 Seeing the spear fall, the son of Kṛṣṇa, blazing with fury, planted three arrows in Duryodhana's arms and breast.

6.112.6 And again, O best of the Bhāratas, he struck the unforgiving Duryodhana between the breasts with ten dreadful arrows.

6.112.7 That combat grew terrible and wondrous to behold, O Bhārata, a joy to the onlookers and honored by all the kings.

6.112.8 For the slaying of Bhīṣma and for Pārtha's victory the two heroes fought in battle — the son of Subhadrā and the bull among the Kurus.

6.112.9 The son of Droṇa, that bull among brāhmaṇas, scorcher of foes, in his wrath struck the impetuous Sātyaki upon the breast with an iron shaft.

6.112.10 The grandson of Śini too, O Bhārata, that warrior of measureless spirit, smote the teacher's son in all his vital parts with nine heron-feathered arrows.

6.112.11 Aśvatthāman in the battle struck Sātyaki with nine arrows, and then swiftly with thirty more in the arms and breast.

6.112.12 Deeply pierced by the son of Droṇa, that mighty archer of the Sātvata line, of great renown, struck the son of Droṇa with three arrows.

6.112.13 Paurava, closing in battle upon Dhṛṣṭaketu, that mighty archer and great chariot-warrior, tore him in many places with his arrows.

6.112.14 In the same way Dhṛṣṭaketu, the great chariot-warrior of vast strength, pierced Paurava in the fight with thirty sharpened arrows.

6.112.15 But Paurava, the great chariot-warrior, having cut Dhṛṣṭaketu's bow, roared a mighty roar and pierced him with ten arrows.

6.112.16 Then, taking up another bow, he struck Paurava with sharpened arrows, O great king, with seventy-three keen shafts.

6.112.17 There those two mighty archers, men of high station, great chariot-warriors, rained upon one another a vast downpour of arrows.

6.112.18 Having cut each other's bows and slain each other's horses, O Bhārata, those two great chariot-warriors, now bereft of cars, closed for combat with swords.

6.112.19 With bull-hide shields, bright and adorned with a hundred moons, and swords gleaming with great brilliance, dappled as with a hundred stars,

6.112.20 grasping their spotless blades, O king, the two rushed upon each other, eager as two lions in a great forest contending for a mate.

6.112.21 They wheeled in wondrous circlings, advancing and retreating, displaying their art and each seeking out the other's life.

6.112.22 Paurava, enraged, struck Dhṛṣṭaketu upon the temple with his great sword and cried, "Stand! Stand!"

6.112.23 The king of the Cedis too, in the battle, struck Paurava, that bull among men, upon the collarbone with the sharp edge of his great sword.

6.112.24 Those two subduers of foes, O great king, having closed with one another in that mighty fray, struck down by each other's onset, fell to the ground.

6.112.25 Then your son Jayatsena, lifting Paurava onto his own chariot, O king, bore him away from the field of battle.

6.112.26 And Dhṛṣṭaketu, in the fight, the son of Mādrī, the scorcher of foes, valiant Sahadeva, bore away from the battle, O king.

6.112.27 Citrasena, having pierced Suśarman with nine swift shafts, pierced him again with sixty, and yet again with nine arrows.

6.112.28 But Suśarman, enraged in the battle, O lord of peoples, pierced your son with ten and ten sharpened arrows.

6.112.29 And Citrasena, O king, in his wrath struck him in battle with thirty smooth-jointed arrows, and the other pierced him in return, O king, exalting in that fight the glory and honor of Bhīṣma.

6.112.30 The son of Subhadrā fought with the prince Bṛhadbala; and the lord of Kosala, having pierced the son of Arjuna with five iron shafts, pierced him again with twenty smooth-jointed arrows.

6.112.31 And the son of Subhadrā, having pierced Bṛhadbala with nine iron shafts, could not make him waver in the battle, yet pierced him again and again.

6.112.32 And the son of Phalguna once more cut the bow of the prince of Kosala and struck him with thirty heron-feathered arrows.

6.112.33 Then, taking up another bow, the prince Bṛhadbala, enraged, pierced the son of Phalguna in battle with many arrows.

6.112.34 A combat arose between those two for Bhīṣma's sake, O scorcher of foes — between the two enraged and wondrous fighters in that battle, O great king — even as once in the war of gods and demons between Maya and Vāsava.

6.112.35 Bhīmasena shone resplendent as he fought the host of elephants, like Śakra with thunderbolt in hand cleaving the loftiest mountains.

6.112.36 Those elephants, huge as hills, slaughtered by Bhīma, fell together to the earth, making the ground resound.

6.112.37 Those elephants, vast as mountains and dark as heaps of broken collyrium, lay shining upon the earth, scattered like sundered hills.

6.112.38 Yudhiṣṭhira, the mighty archer, closing in battle upon the king of the Madras, who was guarded by a great host, pressed him hard.

6.112.39 And the lord of the Madras, valiant for Bhīṣma's sake, enraged in the battle, pressed hard the son of Dharma, that great chariot-warrior.

6.112.40 The king of the Sindhus, having pierced Virāṭa with nine smooth-jointed, sharp shafts, tormented him again with thirty more.

6.112.41 And Virāṭa, O great king, at the head of the host struck the king of the Sindhus with thirty sharpened arrows between the breasts.

6.112.42 With bright bows and swords, with gleaming armor, weapons, and banners, those two of wondrous aspect — the Matsya and the Saindhava — shone resplendent in the battle.

6.112.43 Droṇa, meeting the son of the Pāñcāla in that great battle, made a vast tumult with his smooth-jointed arrows.

6.112.44 Then Droṇa, O great king, having cut the great bow of the grandson of Pṛṣata, pierced the grandson of Pṛṣata with fifty shafts.

6.112.45 Taking up another bow, the grandson of Pṛṣata, slayer of hostile heroes, loosed his shafts in the fight before Droṇa's very eyes.

6.112.46 Warding off those arrows with a multitude of his own, the great chariot-warrior Droṇa sent five shafts against the son of Drupada.

6.112.47 At this, enraged, O great king, the grandson of Pṛṣata, slayer of hostile heroes, hurled at Droṇa in battle a mace like the rod of Yama.

6.112.48 As that mace, adorned with bands of gold, came hurtling suddenly upon him, Droṇa warded it off in the fight with fifty arrows.

6.112.49 Severed in many pieces, O king, by the arrows loosed from Droṇa's bow, that mace, shattered and crumbling, fell to the surface of the earth.

6.112.50 Seeing his mace destroyed, the grandson of Pṛṣata, that slayer of foes, hurled at Droṇa a fair spear wholly wrought of steel.

6.112.51 That spear Droṇa clove with nine arrows in the fight, O Bhārata, and pressed hard in the combat the grandson of Pṛṣata, that mighty archer.

6.112.52 Thus did this great combat take place between Droṇa and the grandson of Pṛṣata, for Bhīṣma's sake, O great king — dreadful of aspect and terrifying.

6.112.53 Arjuna, reaching the son of Gaṅgā and pressing him with sharpened arrows, rushed upon him as he stood ready, like a hunter upon a rutting elephant in the forest.

6.112.54 And valiant Bhagadatta, of mighty strength, came forth against that Pārtha upon an elephant whose temples were split in three, blind with rut.

6.112.55 As that elephant, like the elephant of great Indra, came hurtling suddenly upon him, Bībhatsu, putting forth his utmost effort, met the charge.

6.112.56 Then king Bhagadatta the valiant, mounted upon his elephant, checked Arjuna in the fight with a downpour of arrows.

6.112.57 But Arjuna, in the great battle, pierced that oncoming elephant, white as silver, with spotless, sharp iron shafts.

6.112.58 And the son of Kuntī urged Śikhaṇḍin on, crying "Go! Go!" — "Toward Bhīṣma, O great king — slay him!" he said.

6.112.59 Then the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa, O elder of the Pāṇḍu line, leaving the son of Pāṇḍu, hastened, O king, toward the chariot of Drupada.

6.112.60 Then Arjuna, O great king, rushed swiftly upon Bhīṣma, placing Śikhaṇḍin before him, and thereupon the battle was joined.

6.112.61 Then those heroes of your side all rushed shouting upon the impetuous son of Pāṇḍu in the battle, and that was a marvelous sight.

6.112.62 The manifold ranks of your sons, O ruler of men, Arjuna scattered in due season, as the wind scatters the clouds in the sky.

6.112.63 But Śikhaṇḍin, closing upon the grandsire of the Bhāratas, unflustered, swiftly covered him over with many arrows.

6.112.64 And Bhīṣma in the battle slew the Somakas who followed in Pārtha's train, and the great chariot-warrior held back the army of the Pāṇḍavas.

6.112.65 His chariot a fire-altar, his bow its flame, his swords and spears and maces its fuel, and his showers of arrows its great blaze, Bhīṣma consumed the warriors in the battle.

6.112.66 As a vast fire, wind-fanned, ranges through the dry brushwood, so too did Bhīṣma blaze, launching his celestial weapons.

6.112.67 With gold-feathered arrows, sharpened and smooth-jointed, Bhīṣma of great renown made the quarters and the intermediate quarters resound.

6.112.68 Striking down the chariot-warriors, O king, and the elephants together with their riders, he made the throngs of chariots like groves of headless palm-trees.

6.112.69 Bhīṣma, the foremost of all who bear arms, made the chariots, the elephants, and the horses void of men in that fight, O king.

6.112.70 Hearing the twang of his bowstring and the slap of his palm-guard, like the crashing of a thunderbolt, the soldiers trembled on every side, O king.

6.112.71 Unerring fell the arrows of your father, O lord of men; the shafts loosed from Bhīṣma's bow did not lodge but passed clean through the bodies.

6.112.72 We beheld chariots void of men, O king, well-yoked with swift horses, carried off like the wind, O lord of peoples.

6.112.73 Fourteen thousand warriors of the Cedis, Kāśis, and Karūṣas — renowned great chariot-warriors, men of noble birth, ready to lay down their lives —

6.112.74 those heroes who never turned back, with banners wrought of gold, on closing with Bhīṣma in battle, together with their horses, chariots, and elephants, went to the other world, as though to Death with gaping mouth.

6.112.75 There was not there, O great king, a single great chariot-warrior of the Somakas who, having reached Bhīṣma in the battle, kept his mind set upon living.

6.112.76 Beholding the prowess of Bhīṣma, men deemed all those warriors in the battle led away to the city of the king of the dead.

6.112.77 No great chariot-warrior went forth against him in the battle, save the heroic son of Pāṇḍu, he of the white steeds and Kṛṣṇa for charioteer, and Śikhaṇḍin the Pāñcāla of measureless might.

6.112.78 But Śikhaṇḍin, closing upon Bhīṣma in the battle, O bull of the Bhāratas, struck him in that great fray with arrows by tens and tens.

6.112.79 But the son of Gaṅgā looked upon Śikhaṇḍin with an eye blazing with wrath, with a sidelong glance, as though to burn him up, O Bhārata.

6.112.80 Remembering his womanhood, O king, in the sight of all the world, Bhīṣma did not strike him in the battle; and Śikhaṇḍin did not perceive this.

6.112.81 But Arjuna, O great king, spoke to Śikhaṇḍin: "Make haste, hasten on, and slay this grandsire!

6.112.82 What need of speech, O hero? Slay Bhīṣma, that great chariot-warrior. For I see no other in all Yudhiṣṭhira's host

6.112.83 who is able to do battle in the field with Bhīṣma the grandsire, save you, O tiger among men — this truth I tell you."

6.112.84 Thus addressed by Pārtha, O bull of the Bhāratas, Śikhaṇḍin swiftly rushed upon the grandsire with arrows of every kind.

6.112.85 Heedless of those shafts, your father Devavrata held off the wrathful Arjuna in battle with his own arrows.

6.112.86 And so too, O honored one, that great chariot-warrior dispatched the whole host of the Pāṇḍavas to the other world with his keen shafts in battle.

6.112.87 Likewise, O king, the Pāṇḍavas, surrounded by their great army, veiled Bhīṣma as clouds veil the day-maker sun.

6.112.88 Hemmed in on every side, that scion of Bharata, O bull of the Bhāratas, burned down the heroes in battle as a blazing fire consumes a forest.

6.112.89 There we beheld the wondrous prowess of your son, who fought against Pārtha and guarded the firm-vowed one.

6.112.90 By that deed of your bowman son Duḥśāsana in battle, all the worlds were well pleased with the great-souled one.

6.112.91 For alone he fought against the Pārthas and their followers, and even so the Pāṇḍavas could not check that fierce warrior in the fray.

6.112.92 By Duḥśāsana in battle chariot-warriors were stripped of their cars, O great king, as were riders and mighty elephant-borne men.

6.112.93 Pierced through by his sharp shafts, they fell to the earth's surface, while other elephants, tormented by arrows, fled in all directions.

6.112.94 As fire, finding fuel, blazes up with fierce and brilliant flame, so did your son blaze, consuming the Pāṇḍavas.

6.112.95 That great captain of the Bhāratas no mighty car-warrior of the Pāṇḍavas dared to vanquish, nor in any way to advance against him — save the son of great Indra, he of the white horses, whose charioteer was Kṛṣṇa.

6.112.96 For having conquered him in battle, O king, the victorious Arjuna rushed straight at Bhīṣma in the sight of all the army.

6.112.97 Though vanquished, your son, taking refuge in the strength of Bhīṣma's arm, again and again rallied and fought on, fierce in the battle; and warring against Arjuna in the fray, O king, he shone resplendent.

6.112.98 But Śikhaṇḍin in battle, O king, kept piercing the grandsire with arrows whose touch was as the thunderbolt's and like the venom of serpents.

6.112.99 Yet these wrought no pain in your father, O lord of men, and the son of Gaṅgā, smiling, then received those shafts.

6.112.100 As a man scorched by heat welcomes the streaming rain, so the son of Gaṅgā received the showers of Śikhaṇḍin's arrows.

6.112.101 The warriors beheld him, O great king, terrible in the fray — Bhīṣma, burning down the armies of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas.

6.112.102 Then your son said to all the troops, O honored one: 'Rush upon Phalguna in the battle with your chariots from every side!'

6.112.103 'Bhīṣma, knower of the law, will guard you all in battle. Casting off your great fear, fight back against the Pāṇḍavas!'

6.112.104 'Yonder Bhīṣma stands with his blazing palmyra banner, protecting all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra — in battle their shelter and their shield.'

6.112.105 'Even the thirty gods, fully arrayed, are not able to assail the great-souled Bhīṣma — how much less the Pārthas, who are but mortals and feeble! Therefore charge, O warriors, and close with Phalguna in the fight!'

6.112.106 'I myself, intent in battle today, will fight against Phalguna, joined on all sides by your eager selves, O lords of the earth!'

6.112.107 Hearing that speech, O king, of your bowman son, the mighty great chariot-warriors made ready against Arjuna.

6.112.108 The Videhas and the Kaliṅgas, together with the bands of the Dāśerakas, and the Niṣādas and the Sauvīras, fell upon him in that great battle.

6.112.109 The Bāhlīkas and the Daradas, the easterners and northerners, the Mālavas, the Abhīṣāhas, the Śūrasenas, the Śibis, and the Vasātis.

6.112.110 The Śālvas and their dependents, the Trigartas, the Ambaṣṭhas, together with the Kekayas — all rushed upon Pārtha in battle as moths upon a flame.

6.112.111 Calling to mind his divine weapons and fitting them to his bow, Dhanaṃjaya faced all those mighty car-warriors with their hosts, O great king.

6.112.112 With those weapons of mighty speed the great-strong Bībhatsu swiftly burned them up by the searing power of his shafts, as fire burns moths.

6.112.113 As that firm-bowed one loosed his thousands of arrows, the Gāṇḍīva was seen blazing as it were in the sky.

6.112.114 Tormented by his arrows, O great king, their chariot-banners scattered, the kings together could not stand against him of the ape-bannered car.

6.112.115 Car-warriors with their banners fell, horsemen along with their horses, and elephants with their riders, struck by the shafts of the Diademed One.

6.112.116 Then the earth lay covered with the arrows loosed from Arjuna's arms, and on every side by the routed forces of the kings fleeing many ways.

6.112.117 Then the mighty-armed Pārtha, having put the host to flight, sent forth his shafts in battle against Duḥśāsana.

6.112.118 Those iron-tipped shafts, piercing through your son Duḥśāsana, all entered the earth as serpents enter an anthill; and then he slew his horses and struck down his charioteer.

6.112.119 And with twenty shafts, O lord, he stripped Viviṃśati of his chariot, and smote him sorely with five smooth-jointed arrows.

6.112.120 Piercing Kṛpa, Śalya, and Vikarṇa with many iron shafts, the son of Kuntī, he of the white steeds, deprived them too of their chariots.

6.112.121 Thus those five — Kṛpa and Śalya, O honored one, Duḥśāsana and Vikarṇa, and likewise Viviṃśati — stripped of their chariots and vanquished by Savyasācin, fled away from the battle.

6.112.122 In the forenoon, O king, having thus defeated those great car-warriors, Pārtha blazed up in the battle like a smokeless fire.

6.112.123 And so too with his rain of arrows, like the radiant sun with his beams, he brought down still other kings, O great king.

6.112.124 Having turned the great car-warriors to flight with his showers of arrows, he set flowing in the battle a mighty river whose waters were blood, midway between the armies of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.

6.112.125 Elephants and bands of chariots were in many ways slain by the car-warriors; chariots were destroyed by elephants, and elephants by horsemen and foot-soldiers.

6.112.126 The bodies and heads of the warriors mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, cut asunder in the midst, fell down in all directions.

6.112.127 The field of battle shone, strewn with princes, great car-warriors wearing earrings and armlets, the fallen and the falling alike.

6.112.128 Foot-soldiers were seen cut down by chariot-wheels and crushed by elephants, together with horses and the riders of horses.

6.112.129 Hosts of elephants, horses, and chariots fell on every side, and chariots lay shattered on the ground, their wheels, yokes, and banners broken.

6.112.130 Sprinkled with the blood of those streams of elephants, horses, and chariots, the covered battlefield shone like a red autumnal cloud.

6.112.131 Dogs, crows, and vultures, wolves together with jackals, and monstrous beasts and birds howled as they came upon their prey.

6.112.132 Winds of many kinds blew in all directions, while demons appeared to sight and spirits cried aloud.

6.112.133 Golden garlands and costly banners, swept up suddenly by the wind, were seen smoking as they whirled.

6.112.134 Thousands of white umbrellas and great chariots with their banners were seen scattered by hundreds and by thousands; and elephants with their pennons, tormented by arrows, fled in every direction.

6.112.135 And warriors, O lord of men, bearing maces, lances, and bows, were seen on every side fallen upon the earth's surface.

6.112.136 Then Bhīṣma, O great king, loosing a celestial weapon, charged upon the son of Kuntī before the eyes of all the bowmen.

6.112.137 Śikhaṇḍin, armored, rushed against him as he stood intent in battle; thereupon Bhīṣma withdrew that weapon, which was like fire itself.

6.112.138 At that very moment the son of Kuntī, he of the white steeds, having bewildered the grandsire, struck down your army.

6.113.1 Saṃjaya said: When the armies were thus arrayed and for the most part still standing fast, all the warriors became bent upon the world of Brahmā, O Bhārata.

6.113.2 For in that press army no longer clashed with army, nor chariots with chariot-warriors, nor foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers.

6.113.3 Horses fought not with horses, nor elephants with elephant-warriors; a great and terrible confusion arose between the two armies.

6.113.4 As men, elephants, and chariots were thus scattered everywhere, in that vast and dreadful carnage all distinction vanished.

6.113.5 Then Śalya and Kṛpa, and Citrasena, O Bhārata, and Duḥśāsana and Vikarṇa, those heroes mounting their chariots in haste, made the host of the Pāṇḍavas tremble in battle.

6.113.6 That army of the Pāṇḍavas, slaughtered in battle by those great-souled ones, found no rescuer, like a ship foundering in the water.

6.113.7 As the winter season cuts to the vitals of cattle, so did Bhīṣma cut into the vital parts of the sons of Pāṇḍu.

6.113.8 By your army and by the great-souled Pārtha alike, elephants resembling mountains and clouds were brought down in great numbers.

6.113.9 Leaders of men were seen being crushed by Pārtha, struck by his arrows and by his iron shafts in their thousands.

6.113.10 Here and there great elephants fell with a cry of anguish; and with the ornament-decked bodies of the slain great-souled ones,

6.113.11 and with heads still bearing earrings, the battlefield shone strewn over, in that exceedingly fearful slaughter of the bravest of heroes, O king, while Bhīṣma showed his valor in the fight and so did the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya.

6.113.12 Beholding the grandsire surging forward in the battle, O king, the Kauravas did not turn back, having set the world of Brahmā before them.

6.113.13 Desiring death in battle and making heaven their goal, they advanced against the Pāṇḍavas in that slaughter of the noblest heroes.

6.113.14 The Pāṇḍavas too, O great king, remembering the many and varied wrongs once done to them by you and your sons, O lord of men,

6.113.15 those heroes, casting off fear in battle and setting the world of Brahmā before them, fought joyfully against your men and your sons.

6.113.16 Then the commander, that great car-warrior, said to the army in the battle: 'Charge upon the son of Gaṅgā, O Somakas, together with the Sṛñjayas!'

6.113.17 Hearing the commander's word, the Somakas with the Sṛñjayas rushed upon the son of Gaṅgā with a rain of weapons from every side.

6.113.18 Being assailed, O king, your father, the son of Śaṃtanu, falling under the sway of wrath, fought against the Sṛñjayas.

6.113.19 To that illustrious one, O dear son, the wise Rāma had of old imparted the training in arms that destroys the armies of foes.

6.113.20 Relying on that training and wreaking destruction on the enemy's host, day after day the aged grandsire of the Kurus, Bhīṣma, slayer of hostile heroes, slew ten thousand of the Pārthas.

6.113.21 But when that tenth day had come, O bull of the Bhāratas, by Bhīṣma alone, among the Matsyas and the Pāñcālas in the fray, after slaying countless elephants and horses, seven great car-warriors were slain.

6.113.22 The great-grandsire slew five thousand car-warriors, and fourteen thousand foot-soldiers in that great battle,

6.113.23 and a thousand elephants likewise, and again ten thousand horses, were slain by the might of your father's training, O lord of peoples.

6.113.24 Then, having thrown into turmoil the host of all the kings, the beloved brother of Virāṭa, Śatānīka, was struck down.

6.113.25 And having slain Śatānīka in battle, the valiant Bhīṣma, O great king, struck down thousands of kings with his broad-headed shafts.

6.113.26 And whatever kings among the Pārthas advanced toward Dhanaṃjaya, once they came upon Bhīṣma they went to the abode of Yama.

6.113.27 Thus, having covered the ten directions on every side with nets of arrows, Bhīṣma broke through the army of the Pārthas and took his stand at the head of the host.

6.113.28 Having wrought that mighty deed on the tenth day, he stood between the two armies with his bow grasped firm.

6.113.29 And none of the kings, O king, were able to gaze upon him, even as in the summer one cannot look upon the sun blazing at midheaven.

6.113.30 As Śakra scorched the host of the Daityas in battle, so did Bhīṣma scorch the sons of Pāṇḍu, O Bhārata.

6.113.31 And beholding him so valorous, the slayer of Madhu, the son of Devakī, spoke with affection to Dhanaṃjaya:

6.113.32 "Yonder stands Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, between the two armies. Unless you slay him by force, victory shall not be yours.

6.113.33 Be intent and hold him fast where this host is being shattered; for none other, O lord, has the strength to endure the arrows of Bhīṣma."

6.113.34 Then in that instant, O king, he of the monkey-bannered standard, thus urged, hid Bhīṣma—with his standard, his chariot, and his horses—from sight beneath his arrows.

6.113.35 But he too, the bull among the foremost of the Kurus, with showers of arrows scattered again and again the arrow-showers loosed by the Pāṇḍavas.

6.113.36 By him the king of the Pāñcālas, and valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu, and the Pāṇḍava Bhīmasena, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata,

6.113.37 and the twins, and Cekitāna, and the five Kekayas as well, and Sātyaki, O great king, and the son of Subhadrā, and Ghaṭotkaca—

6.113.38 the sons of Draupadī, and Śikhaṇḍin, and valiant Kuntibhoja, and Suśarman, and Virāṭa—those mighty warriors of the Pāṇḍava side—

6.113.39 these and many others, tormented by the shafts of Bhīṣma and sunk in an ocean of grief, were drawn forth and rescued by Phalguna.

6.113.40 Then Śikhaṇḍin, swiftly seizing his supreme weapon, rushed straight at Bhīṣma, guarded by the diademed Arjuna.

6.113.41 Then the unvanquished Bībhatsu, skilled in the orderings of battle, having slain all who followed in support, rushed straight at Bhīṣma.

6.113.42 Sātyaki, and Cekitāna, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata, and Virāṭa, and Drupada, and the two sons of Mādrī, the Pāṇḍavas, charged at Bhīṣma in the fray, shielded by the steadfast bowman.

6.113.43 And Abhimanyu in the battle, and the five sons of Draupadī, their great weapons raised aloft, charged at Bhīṣma in the fray.

6.113.44 All those firm-bowed warriors, never fleeing in battles, well practiced with their shafts, pierced Bhīṣma in many places with their arrows.

6.113.45 Shaking off those masses of arrows loosed by the foremost of kings, the grandsire, undaunted in spirit, plunged into the host of the Pāṇḍavas, warding off their shafts as though in sport.

6.113.46 Smiling again and again and recalling the womanhood of the Pāñcāla prince, Bhīṣma did not aim at him; heedless of Śikhaṇḍin's arrows, the great warrior struck down seven chariots in Drupada's array.

6.113.47 Then in an instant a tumultuous clamor arose from the Matsyas, the Pāñcālas, and the Cedis as they rushed upon him, the one man.

6.113.48 With their throngs of fine horses and chariots, with elephants and footmen, they covered that one man—Bhīṣma, son of Gaṅgā, who was scorching his foes in battle—as clouds cover the sun.

6.113.49 Then, in that battle between him and them, a battle like that of gods and demons, the diademed Arjuna, putting Śikhaṇḍin to the fore, assailed Bhīṣma.

6.114.1 Saṃjaya said: Thus all those Pāṇḍavas, putting Śikhaṇḍin to the fore, encircled Bhīṣma on every side and pierced him in the battle.

6.114.2 With dreadful śataghnīs, with spiked maces and battle-axes, with hammers, clubs, and javelins, and with slings on every side,

6.114.3 with gold-feathered arrows, with lances, pikes, and darts, with iron shafts, with calf-tooth barbs, and with bhuśuṇḍis, O Bhārata, all the Sṛñjayas together struck Bhīṣma in the battle.

6.114.4 Then, his armor shattered and tormented by many, the son of Gaṅgā did not waver, though his vital parts were being pierced.

6.114.5 With his blazing arrows and bow for flames, with the wind of his outpouring missiles, with the roar of his chariot-rims for thunder, and the rising of his great weapons for fire—

6.114.6 his wondrous bow a mighty blaze, the destruction of heroes its great fuel, Bhīṣma became to his foes like the fire at the end of an age.

6.114.7 Plunging in and bursting out through the masses of chariots, he was seen again, ranging in the very midst of the kings.

6.114.8 Then, passing beyond the king of the Pāñcālas and Dhṛṣṭaketu, he swiftly reached the center of the Pāṇḍava host.

6.114.9 Then Sātyaki and Bhīma, and the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya, and Drupada and Virāṭa, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata—

6.114.10 these six he assailed with six arrows, terrible-sounding and swift, piercers of the foe's elephants, bright as the sun.

6.114.11 But those great warriors, warding off his sharp arrows, tormented Bhīṣma with might, each with ten shafts.

6.114.12 And the arrows that Śikhaṇḍin loosed in the battle, O you of great vows—gold-feathered and whetted on stone—swiftly entered Bhīṣma.

6.114.13 Then the diademed Arjuna, enraged, advanced straight upon Bhīṣma, and putting Śikhaṇḍin to the fore, cut his bow asunder.

6.114.14 The great warriors did not brook the cutting of Bhīṣma's bow—Droṇa, and Kṛtavarman, and the lord of the Sindhus, Jayadratha,

6.114.15 Bhūriśravas, Śala, Śalya, and Bhagadatta as well: these seven, exceedingly wrathful, rushed upon the diademed one.

6.114.16 Displaying their supreme celestial weapons, those great warriors, fiercely enraged, fell upon him and overwhelmed the Pāṇḍavas.

6.114.17 The sound of them as they bore down upon Phalguna was heard like the roar of oceans surging up at the dissolution of an age.

6.114.18 "Slay! Drive on! Seize! Fight! Cut him down!"—such was the tumultuous cry that arose against the chariot of Phalguna.

6.114.19 Hearing that tumultuous cry, the great warriors of the Pāṇḍavas ran forward seeking to protect Phalguna, O bull of the Bhāratas.

6.114.20 Sātyaki and Bhīmasena, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna son of Pṛṣata, and Virāṭa and Drupada both, and the rākṣasa Ghaṭotkaca,

6.114.21 and the wrathful Abhimanyu—these seven, swooning with rage, swiftly charged forward, bearing their gaily-painted bows.

6.114.22 Between them arose a battle tumultuous and hair-raising, O best of the Bhāratas, like the conflict of the gods with the Dānavas.

6.114.23 But Śikhaṇḍin, foremost of charioteers, guarded by the diademed one, pierced Bhīṣma—his bow already cut—with ten arrows in the fray, and his charioteer with ten, and with one he severed his standard.

6.114.24 The son of Gaṅgā took up another, swifter bow; but that too Phalguna cut to pieces with three sharp broad-headed shafts.

6.114.25 Thus the Pāṇḍava, enraged—Savyasācin, the scorcher of foes—cut asunder each bow of Bhīṣma's again and again as he took it up.

6.114.26 His bow cut through, and burning with wrath, licking the corners of his mouth, in his fury he seized a spear that could rend even mountains, and in his fury hurled it at the chariot of Phalguna.

6.114.27 Seeing it bearing down, blazing like a thunderbolt, the joy of the Pāṇḍavas took up five sharp broad-headed arrows.

6.114.28 In his wrath, O best of the Bhāratas, he cut that spear—hurled by the might of Bhīṣma's arm—into five pieces with his five shafts.

6.114.29 Cleft asunder by the wrathful diademed one, it fell like a lightning-flash broken loose and sundered from a bank of clouds.

6.114.30 Beholding that spear cut to pieces, Bhīṣma, filled with wrath—the hero, conqueror of hostile cities—reflected in his mind upon the battle:

6.114.31 "I am able with a single bow to slay all the Pāṇḍavas, if only the mighty Viṣvaksena were not their protector.

6.114.32 For two reasons I shall not fight against the Pāṇḍavas: because the sons of Pāṇḍu are not to be slain, and because of the womanhood of Śikhaṇḍin.

6.114.33 Long ago, when he wedded Kālī, my father, well pleased, granted me death at my own will and invulnerability in battle. Therefore I deem this death to have come for me as if at its appointed hour."

6.114.34 Knowing thus the resolve of Bhīṣma of boundless splendor, the seers and the Vasus, standing in the sky, spoke to Bhīṣma:

6.114.35 "What you have resolved, O hero, is to us a thing most dear. Do it, O mighty bowman; turn your mind away from battle."

6.114.36 At the ending of that speech, an auspicious wind arose, favorable and fragrant, laden with droplets of water.

6.114.37 And the drums of the gods resounded with a mighty noise, and a rain of flowers fell upon Bhīṣma, O king.

6.114.38 And none, O king, heard those who spoke together, save mighty-armed Bhīṣma and myself, through the power of the sage.

6.114.39 And a great agitation seized the gods, O lord of peoples, that Bhīṣma, beloved of all the worlds, was then about to fall from his chariot.

6.114.40 Having heard this speech of the hosts of gods, the great-souled Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, no longer advanced against Bībhatsu, though pierced by sharp arrows that cleft through every armor.

6.114.41 But Śikhaṇḍin, O great king, in his wrath struck the grandsire of the Bhāratas in the chest with nine sharp arrows.

6.114.42 Smitten by him in the battle, Bhīṣma, the grandsire of the Kurus, did not tremble, O great king, as a mountain trembles not in an earthquake.

6.114.43 Then Bībhatsu, laughing, drew his bow Gāṇḍīva and pierced the son of Gaṅgā with twenty-five small arrows.

6.114.44 Then again Dhanaṃjaya, hastening and full of wrath, struck him with a hundred arrows in all his limbs, in all his vital parts.

6.114.45 Thus, though grievously struck by others as well in that great battle, those gold-feathered, stone-whetted shafts wrought him no pain.

6.114.46 Then the diademed Arjuna, enraged, advanced straight upon Bhīṣma, and putting Śikhaṇḍin to the fore, cut his bow asunder.

6.114.47 Then, having pierced him with ten arrows, he severed his standard with one, and made his charioteer reel with ten shafts.

6.114.48 The son of Gaṅgā took up another, stronger bow; but that too, in less than the blink of an eye, he cut in three with three sharp broad-headed shafts, even as it was taken up, again and again, in that great battle.

6.114.49 Thus he cut asunder very many of his bows in the fray; and thereafter Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, no longer advanced against Bībhatsu.

6.114.50 Then he tormented him with twenty-five small arrows; and that mighty bowman, sorely pierced, spoke to Duḥśāsana:

6.114.51 "Yonder Pārtha, the great warrior of the Pāṇḍavas, enraged in battle, presses upon me alone in the fray with arrows by the many thousands.

6.114.52 He cannot be conquered in battle even by the wielder of the thunderbolt; nor are the heroes among gods, Dānavas, and rākṣasas, all together, able to vanquish me—how much less feeble mortals?"

6.114.53 While the two were thus speaking together, Phalguna, putting Śikhaṇḍin to the fore, pierced Bhīṣma in the fray with sharp arrows.

6.114.54 Then, sorely pierced by the sharp arrows of the wielder of Gāṇḍīva, Bhīṣma, smiling, spoke once more to Duḥśāsana:

6.114.55 "With a touch like the thunderbolt and the lightning, sharp-pointed, driven deep, loosed without break—these are not the arrows of Śikhaṇḍin.

6.114.56 Cutting through my vital parts, piercing my stout armor, they strike me like iron clubs—these are not the arrows of Śikhaṇḍin."

6.114.57 "Their touch is like the rod of Brahmā, their force like the thunderbolt, and they are not to be withstood; they tear at my very life-breath. These are no arrows of Śikhaṇḍin."

6.114.58 "Like enraged serpents, tongues flickering, swollen with venom, they enter into my vital parts. These are no arrows of Śikhaṇḍin."

6.114.59 "They destroy my life-breath like the hostile messengers of Yama; their touch is like that of mace and iron club. These are no arrows of Śikhaṇḍin."

6.114.60 "They cut into my limbs as the cold cuts into cattle in the month of Māgha. These are the arrows of Arjuna; they are no arrows of Śikhaṇḍin."

6.114.61 "All the other kings together could not bring me such pain—none but that hero, the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva, victorious Jiṣṇu of the ape-bannered car."

6.114.62 So speaking, the son of Śaṃtanu, as though he would burn the Pāṇḍava to ashes, hurled a spear that scattered sparks and blazed at its point, O descendant of Bharata.

6.114.63 But Arjuna, cutting it with three shafts into three pieces, brought it down before the eyes of all the Kuru heroes there, O descendant of Bharata.

6.114.64 Then the son of Gaṅgā took up a shield adorned with gold and a sword as well, resolved either upon death or upon victory at its threshold.

6.114.65 But Arjuna shattered that shield of the armored warrior into a hundred fragments while he had not yet descended from his car; and that was a thing of wonder.

6.114.66 Roaring aloud like a lion, Bhīṣma urged on his own troops: "Rush upon the son of Gaṅgā! Let not even the smallest fear possess you for my sake!"

6.114.67 Then on every side, with javelins, with lances, with floods of arrows, with battle-axes and swords and weapons of every kind,

6.114.68 with calf-tooth darts and broad-headed shafts, they all rushed upon him alone; and a terrible lion-roar arose then from the Pāṇḍavas.

6.114.69 And likewise your sons, O king, longing for Bhīṣma's victory, closed about that one man and raised their lion-roars.

6.114.70 There a tumultuous battle arose between your men and the foe, O lord of kings, on the tenth day, in the encounter of Bhīṣma and Arjuna.

6.114.71 For a moment it was like the whirlpool of the Gaṅgā, like that of the ocean, among the warring armies as they struck one another down.

6.114.72 The earth, drenched with blood, became impassable in appearance, and one could no longer tell level ground from broken.

6.114.73 Having slain ten thousand warriors on that tenth day, Bhīṣma stood firm in battle, though his vital parts were being pierced through.

6.114.74 Then, stationed at the head of that host, Pārtha Dhanaṃjaya drove the army into rout through the midst of the Kuru ranks.

6.114.75 We, terrified of him of the white horses, Dhanaṃjaya the son of Kuntī, sorely pressed by his keen weapons, fled from the great battle.

6.114.76 The Sauvīras, the Kitavas, the men of the East, the West, and the North, the Mālavas, the Abhīṣāhas, the Śūrasenas, the Śibis, and the Vasātis,

6.114.77 the dependents of the Śālvas, the Trigartas, the Ambaṣṭhas together with the Kekayas—these twelve peoples, though tormented by arrows and afflicted with wounds, did not in that battle forsake Bhīṣma as he fought with Arjuna the diademed.

6.114.78 Then the many, surrounding that one man on every side and driving back all the Kurus, overwhelmed him with showers of arrows.

6.114.79 "Strike him down! Seize him! Pierce him! Drag him out!"—such was the tumultuous outcry, O king, around the chariot of Bhīṣma.

6.114.80 Smitten by floods of arrows by the hundreds and the thousands, there was not upon his body so much as a finger's breadth left unpierced.

6.114.81 Thus, O lord, your father, his body torn to pieces by the keen-pointed shafts of Phalguna, fell from his chariot in battle, his head toward the east, while a little of the day yet remained, before the eyes of your sons.

6.114.82 "Alas! Alas!"—a mighty cry arose on every side, from the gods in heaven and from the kings on earth, as Bhīṣma fell from his car.

6.114.83 Beholding that great-souled grandsire fall, the hearts of us all fell down together with Bhīṣma.

6.114.84 The mighty-armed one fell, making the earth resound, like the banner of Indra let loose—he, the ensign of all the bowmen; yet, thickly studded with masses of arrows, he did not touch the ground.

6.114.85 As that bull among men, the great archer, lay fallen from his car upon a bed of arrows, a divine presence entered into him.

6.114.86 The rain-cloud poured down and the earth trembled; and as he fell he saw the sun shrunken in its course.

6.114.87 The hero regained his consciousness, reflecting upon the time, O descendant of Bharata, and he heard from the sky a divine voice on every side.

6.114.88 "How shall the great-souled son of Gaṅgā, foremost of all who bear arms, that tiger among men, meet his end now that the sun's southward course has come?"

6.114.89 Hearing that utterance, the son of Gaṅgā answered, "I yet abide," and held fast his life-breaths, though fallen upon the ground—Bhīṣma, grandsire of the Kurus, awaiting the sun's northward turning.

6.114.90 Knowing that resolve of his, Gaṅgā, daughter of Himavat, sent thither great sages in the form of swans.

6.114.91 Then the swift swans, dwellers of Lake Mānasa, came flying together to see Bhīṣma, grandsire of the Kurus, there where that best of men, the grandsire, lay upon his bed of arrows.

6.114.92 And those sages in the guise of swans, drawing near to Bhīṣma, beheld him, the grandsire of the Kurus, lying upon his bed of arrows.

6.114.93 Seeing that great-souled son of Gaṅgā, foremost of the Bhāratas, and making their reverent circuit about him, with the sun upon their right,

6.114.94 those wise ones, taking counsel one with another, said there: "Bhīṣma, great-souled as he is, would yet make his end while the sun runs its southward course!"

6.114.95 Having so spoken, the swans set forth toward the southern quarter; and the deeply wise one, gazing after them and reflecting, O descendant of Bharata,

6.114.96 the son of Śaṃtanu said to them: "By no means shall I depart while the sun is turned to the south. This is settled in my mind."

6.114.97 "I shall go to my own abode that was mine of old when the sun has turned to the north. O swans, I tell you the truth."

6.114.98 "I shall hold fast my life-breaths in longing for the northward course, for I am master over the laying down of those breaths, fixed in my purpose. Therefore I shall hold them, ready to die when the sun moves northward."

6.114.99 "And the boon that was granted me by that great-souled father of mine—that death should come at my own will—let that boon of his stand fulfilled."

6.114.100 "I shall hold my breaths until the appointed hour for their release." Having so spoken to those swans, he lay there upon his bed of arrows.

6.114.101 When Bhīṣma of mighty splendor, the very summit of the Kurus, had thus fallen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Sṛñjayas raised their lion-roar.

6.114.102 When that one of great courage, peerless among the Bhāratas, had been slain, your sons knew not what to do, O bull of the Bhāratas, and a tumultuous bewilderment fell then upon the Kurus.

6.114.103 The kings, with Duryodhana at their head, sighed and then wept, and out of grief stood for a long while as though robbed of their senses.

6.114.104 They brooded, O great king, and set not their minds upon the fight; and seized as if by cramp in the thighs, they did not rush upon the Pāṇḍavas.

6.114.105 When the son of Śaṃtanu, deemed unslayable, the splendid Bhīṣma, had been slain, a vast and unrelenting ruin came upon the Kurus, O king.

6.114.106 Our champions slain, ourselves cut down by keen arrows, vanquished by Savyasācin, we knew not what was to be done.

6.114.107 But the Pāṇḍavas, having won the victory and the supreme goal in the world beyond, those heroes with arms like iron bars all blew their great conches; and the Somakas with the Pāñcālas rejoiced greatly, O lord of men.

6.114.108 Then, while a thousand trumpets sounded, the mighty Bhīmasena slapped his arms loudly and danced for joy.

6.114.109 When the son of Gaṅgā had been brought down, the heroes of both armies laid aside their weapons and gave themselves up to reflection on every side.

6.114.110 Some cried aloud, others fell down, and still others swooned away; some reviled the warrior order, while others did honor to Bhīṣma.

6.114.111 The seers and the ancestors praised him of the great vow; and those who were the forefathers of the Bhāratas, they too praised him.

6.114.112 And taking his stand upon the great secret doctrine and upon yoga, the valiant and wise son of Śaṃtanu remained murmuring his prayers, awaiting his hour.

6.115.1 Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: How fared the warriors then, O Saṃjaya, bereft of Bhīṣma—the mighty one, godlike, who kept his celibate vow for his elder's sake?

6.115.2 I count the Kurus and the other kings as slain already from that moment when Bhīṣma, out of compassion, would not strike at the son of Drupada.

6.115.3 What grief could ever befall worse than this, when today I hear that my father has been slain—I, the evil-minded one?

6.115.4 Surely my heart is made of iron, O Saṃjaya, that, hearing of Bhīṣma's slaying, it does not break asunder into a hundred pieces.

6.115.5 Again and again I cannot endure it—that Devavrata has been slain in battle, he whom of old not even the son of Jamadagni could slay with his celestial weapons.

6.115.6 Tell me, O Saṃjaya, what that lion among men, Bhīṣma, did in his desire for victory before he was slain in battle this day.

6.115.7 Saṃjaya said: At the close of day the aged grandsire of the Kurus fell to the earth, plunging the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra into despair and giving joy to the Pāñcālas.

6.115.8 He lay upon his bed of arrows, not touching the earth, Bhīṣma, fallen from his car, cast down upon the ground.

6.115.9 "Alas! Alas!"—a tumultuous cry went up from all beings when the boundary-tree of the Kurus fell at the breaking of their host.

6.115.10 Fear came upon the warriors of both armies, O king; seeing Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, with shattered armor and standard, the Kurus turned about, and the Pāṇḍavas as well, O lord of peoples.

6.115.11 The sky was wrapped in darkness, and the radiance of the sun was no more, and the earth itself groaned aloud when Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, was slain.

6.115.12 "This is the foremost of the knowers of Brahman; this is the refuge of the knowers of Brahman"—so the beings spoke of that bull of the Bhāratas as he lay there.

6.115.13 "This bull among men, knowing of old that his father Śaṃtanu was tormented by desire, made of himself one whose seed was drawn upward in chastity."

6.115.14 Thus the seers, together with the Siddhas and Cāraṇas, hastened about him, the peerless one of the Bhāratas, as he lay upon his bed of arrows.

6.115.15 When Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, grandsire of the Bhāratas, was slain, your sons knew not what to do, O descendant of Bharata.

6.115.16 Their faces grew pale and their splendor departed, O descendant of Bharata; they stood abashed, overcome with shame, their faces bent downward.

6.115.17 But the Pāṇḍavas, having won the victory and standing at the forefront of the battle, all blew their great conches adorned with nets of gold.

6.115.18 And while the trumpets were loudly sounding, O sinless one, we saw in the battle, O king, the mighty Bhīmasena, son of Kuntī, sporting and filled with exceeding joy.

6.115.19 Having slain in battle his foes endowed with great strength—and a tumultuous bewilderment then fell upon the Kurus.

6.115.20 Karṇa and Duryodhana too sighed again and again; and when Bhīṣma, the chief upholder of the Kauravas, had thus fallen, all became a cry of woe, and everything passed beyond restraint.

6.115.21 And seeing Bhīṣma fallen, your son Duḥśāsana, taking on the utmost speed, rushed toward the division of Droṇa.

6.115.22 Sent forth by his brother, that hero, mailed and amid his own host, that tiger among men advanced, urging on his troops.

6.115.23 Beholding him approach, the Kurus gathered round Duḥśāsana, O great king, wondering, "What will he have to say?"

6.115.24 Then the Kaurava announced to Droṇa that Bhīṣma had been slain; and Droṇa, hearing those unwelcome tidings, fell at once from his chariot.

6.115.25 Then, regaining his senses, the valiant son of Bharadvāja held back his own divisions at that moment, O honored one.

6.115.26 Seeing the Kurus withdraw, the Pāṇḍavas too, through messengers mounted on swift horses, caused their own troops to retire from the field.

6.115.27 When the armies had everywhere withdrawn in succession, all the kings, their armor laid aside, went to Bhīṣma.

6.115.28 Then, ceasing from battle, the warriors in their hundreds of thousands stood attending upon that great-souled one, as the immortals attend Prajāpati.

6.115.29 Approaching Bhīṣma, that bull of the Bhāratas, as he lay there, the Pāṇḍavas together with the Kurus paid him homage and took their places around him.

6.115.30 Then to the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus, who stood bowing before him, the righteous Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, spoke.

6.115.31 "Welcome to you, illustrious ones; welcome to you, great chariot-warriors. I rejoice at the sight of you, who are like the immortals."

6.115.32 Having greeted them thus, with his head hanging down he said: "My head hangs too low; let a pillow be given to me."

6.115.33 Then the kings brought choice pillows, thin and soft; but the grandsire would not have them.

6.115.34 And that tiger among men said to those kings, as if smiling: "These, O princes, are not fitting for a hero's bed."

6.115.35 Then, looking upon that best of men, the Pāṇḍava Dhanaṃjaya, the long-armed great chariot-warrior of all the worlds, he addressed him.

6.115.36 "O Dhanaṃjaya, mighty-armed, this head of mine hangs down; let such a pillow be given as you here deem fitting."

6.115.37 Setting aside his great bow and saluting the grandsire, with his two eyes brimming with tears he spoke these words.

6.115.38 "Command me, O best of the Kurus, foremost of all wielders of weapons. I am your servant, O unassailable one; what shall be done, grandsire?"

6.115.39 The son of Śaṃtanu said to him: "My head hangs down, my son. O best of the Kurus, Phalguna, fetch me a pillow; quickly, O hero, give me one befitting this bed of mine."

6.115.40 "For you, O Pārtha, mighty-armed, are the foremost of all bowmen, knower of the kṣatriya's law, endowed with the virtues of wisdom and resolve."

6.115.41 Phalguna, saying "So be it," swift and forward in resolve, took up the Gāṇḍīva and, with sacred utterance, his keen-jointed arrows.

6.115.42 Having sought the leave of that great-souled, peerless one among the Bhāratas, with three sharp, swift-flying arrows he upheld his head.

6.115.43 When his intent was understood by Savyasācin, the righteous one, Bhīṣma, that best of the Bhāratas, knower of the truths of dharma and artha, was well pleased.

6.115.44 With the pillow thus given, he praised Dhanaṃjaya, the son of Kuntī, the best of fighters, the increaser of his friends' delight.

6.115.45 "O Pāṇḍava, you have provided what befits one who lies thus. Had you acted otherwise, I would have cursed you in my wrath."

6.115.46 "This is so, O mighty-armed one, established firmly in the laws: thus must a kṣatriya sleep in battle, lying upon a bed of arrows."

6.115.47 Having spoken thus to Bībhatsu, he addressed these words to all those kings and princes who stood gathered with the Pāṇḍava.

6.115.48 "I shall lie upon this bed until the sun turns back in its course. Those kings who shall then survive will indeed behold me."

6.115.49 "When the sun, the day-maker, blazing and scorching the worlds with his chariot of supreme splendor, shall pass to the quarter ruled by Vaiśravaṇa, then shall I release my life-breaths, dear though my friends be to me."

6.115.50 "Let a trench be dug here, O kings, around my dwelling-place; thus pierced by a hundred arrows, I shall worship Vivasvat. Desist from battle, O princes, and cast off your enmities."

6.115.51 Then physicians came near, skilled in the drawing-out of arrows, furnished with all their instruments, expert and well-trained.

6.115.52 Seeing them, the son of Jāhnavī then spoke these words: "Let the physicians be honored, given their due, and dismissed."

6.115.53 "In this pass there is now no need of physicians for me, for I have attained the supreme goal, lauded by the kṣatriya's law."

6.115.54 "This is not the way, O guardians of the earth, for me who lie upon a bed of arrows; with these very arrows, O kings, I must be burned at the end."

6.115.55 Hearing those words of his, your son Duryodhana dismissed the physicians, having honored them as they deserved.

6.115.56 Then the lords of diverse realms were filled with wonder, beholding the supreme steadfastness in dharma of Bhīṣma of boundless splendor.

6.115.57 Then, having given a pillow to your father, O lord of men, all the Pāṇḍavas together and the Kuru great chariot-warriors—

6.115.58 —approaching that great-souled one as he lay upon his auspicious bed, saluted Bhīṣma and circled him with reverence.

6.115.59 Having set guards about Bhīṣma on every side, all those heroes, deep in thought and sorely grieved, went toward their own camps at evening to take their rest, drenched in blood.

6.115.60 And to the Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors, encamped and rejoicing, gladdened by the fall of Bhīṣma, the Yādava drew near at the fit time and spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma.

6.115.61 "By good fortune you triumph, O Kaurava; by good fortune Bhīṣma is laid low—he, the great chariot-warrior, true to his word, unslayable by mortals."

6.115.62 "Or rather, O Pārtha, he who was master of all weapons and missiles, even by the gods could not be slain—but, encountering you whose very glance destroys, he was consumed by your terrible eye."

6.115.63 Thus addressed, the King of Righteousness replied to Janārdana: "Through your grace comes victory, through your wrath comes defeat. For you, O Kṛṣṇa, are our refuge, the giver of fearlessness to your devotees."

6.115.64 "No wonder is victory for those whose protector in battle you ever are, O Keśava, ever devoted to their good. Having gained you in every way, that there should be no wonder—such is my conviction."

6.115.65 Thus addressed, Janārdana replied, smiling: "This speech befits none but you, O best of kings."

6.116.1 Saṃjaya said: When the night had passed, O great king, all the princes—the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—went forth to the grandsire.

6.116.2 That hero, best of the Kurus, as he lay upon his hero's bed, the kṣatriyas saluted and attended upon, that bull among kṣatriyas.

6.116.3 Maidens with sandal-powder and parched grain and garlands on every side, women, children, and the aged, and onlookers of the common folk, drew near the son of Śaṃtanu as living beings draw near the dispeller of darkness.

6.116.4 Musicians, courtesans, and likewise actors and dancers danced and sang before the aged grandsire of the Kurus.

6.116.5 Ceasing from their battles, loosing off their armor, and laying down their weapons, the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas together—

6.116.6 —sat attending upon the unassailable Devavrata, that subduer of foes, affectionate toward one another as before, each according to his age.

6.116.7 That assembly of the Bhāratas, thronged with a hundred princes and graced by Bhīṣma, shone resplendent like the orb of the sun blazing in the sky.

6.116.8 And that gathering of kings waiting upon the grandsire shone forth like the gods waiting upon the lord of gods, the Grandsire of all.

6.116.9 But Bhīṣma, O bull of the Bhāratas, mastering his pain through fortitude, sore-tormented by the arrows, spoke with a mind not over-glad.

6.116.10 "My body is scorched by the arrows, and I swoon with the burning of their wounds; I long for water"—thus he spoke to those kings.

6.116.11 Then those kṣatriyas, O king, brought from all around foods of every kind and jars of cool water.

6.116.12 Seeing what was brought, Bhīṣma, son of Śaṃtanu, said: "It is not possible for me now, my son, to take any human enjoyments."

6.116.13 "For I, removed from men and come to a bed of arrows, remain awaiting the turning-back of the moon and the sun."

6.116.14 Having spoken thus to all the princes in a feeble voice, the son of Śaṃtanu addressed the mighty-armed Dhanaṃjaya, O Bhārata.

6.116.15 Then the mighty-armed one, approaching and saluting the grandsire, stood with joined palms, bowing, and said: "What shall I do?"

6.116.16 Seeing that Pāṇḍava, O king, standing before him with salutation, the righteous Bhīṣma, well pleased, addressed Dhanaṃjaya.

6.116.17 "This body of mine burns; I am pierced through and through by great arrows; my vital points are aflame, and my mouth runs dry."

6.116.18 "To cool my body, give me water, O Arjuna; for you, great archer, are able to bring forth water in the proper way."

6.116.19 Arjuna, saying "So be it," the valiant one, mounted his chariot and, drawing the Gāṇḍīva mightily to the string, twanged the bow.

6.116.20 At the sound of his bowstring and palm-guard, like the crashing of a thunderbolt, all beings, hearing it, trembled, and so did all the kings.

6.116.21 Then that best of charioteers, having circled in his chariot that best of the Bhāratas, foremost of all wielders of weapons, as he lay there—

6.116.22 —and fixing a blazing arrow, consecrating it with sacred utterance, the illustrious Pārtha joined it to the Parjanya weapon and, before the eyes of all the world, pierced the earth at Bhīṣma's right side.

6.116.23 Thereupon there sprang up a pure and blessed jet of water, cool and like ambrosia, of divine fragrance and savor.

6.116.24 Then Pārtha, of divine deeds and prowess, refreshed with that cool jet of water Bhīṣma, the bull of the Kurus.

6.116.25 At that deed of Pārtha, who wrought wonders like Śakra himself, the lords of the earth then fell into the utmost amazement.

6.116.26 Beholding that superhuman and marvelous deed of Bībhatsu, the Kurus shook all over, like cattle tormented by cold.

6.116.27 In their wonder the kings waved their upper garments on every side, and with the blare of conches and kettledrums a tumult arose all around.

6.116.28 And the son of Śaṃtanu, his thirst quenched, O king, spoke to Bībhatsu in the presence of all the princely heroes, as if honoring him.

6.116.29 "This is no marvel in you, O mighty-armed delight of the Kurus; by Nārada you were declared to be an ancient seer of boundless luster."

6.116.30 "With Vāsudeva as your ally, you shall accomplish a mighty deed that even Indra, lord of the gods, together with the gods, surely could not dare."

6.116.31 "Those who know such things know you, O Pārtha, to be the destroyer of all the kṣatriya race; alone among bowmen, you are the foremost of men upon the earth."

6.116.32 "Among the creatures of the world men are the best; of birds Garuḍa is supreme; of waters the ocean is best; of four-footed beasts the cow is highest."

6.116.33 "The sun is best of the radiant ones, Himavat the highest of mountains, the brāhmaṇa the best of castes—and you are the best of bowmen."

6.116.34 "The counsel given by Vidura was not heeded by the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, nor that of Droṇa and Rāma and Janārdana, urged again and again, and spoken too by Saṃjaya."

6.116.35 "For Duryodhana, his mind deranged and well-nigh senseless, took no joy in my words; transgressor of the scriptures, struck down by Bhīma's might, he shall lie slain for ages to come."

6.116.36 Then, hearing those words, the lord of the Kurus, Duryodhana, became dejected in heart; and the son of Śaṃtanu, looking upon him, said: "Hear me, O king, and let your anger pass."

6.116.37 "You have seen, Duryodhana, how by the wise Pārtha this jet of cool water, fragrant as ambrosia, was brought forth; of such a deed there is none other in this world who can be the doer."

6.116.38 "The weapons of Agni, of Varuṇa, of Soma, of Vāyu, and then of Viṣṇu, of Indra, of Paśupati, of Brahmā, of Parameṣṭhin and Prajāpati, of Dhātṛ, of Tvaṣṭṛ, and of Savitṛ—all the divine missiles—"

6.116.39 "In all the world of men, Dhanaṃjaya alone knows them, or Kṛṣṇa the son of Devakī—no other knows them at all. The Pāṇḍavas, my son, cannot in any wise be conquered in battle."

6.116.40 Superhuman are these deeds of that great-souled one; with him, the resolute, the valiant, who shines in combat and is accomplished in war, O king — let a peace be made with him, my son.

6.116.41 While mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa is still amenable in the assembly of the Kurus, even now, my son, let a peace be made with the valiant Pārtha.

6.116.42 While Arjuna has not yet destroyed what remains of your army with his straight-jointed arrows, even now, my son, let a peace be made with him.

6.116.43 While your own brothers, the survivors of the slaughter, and many kings still stand in the battle, O king, even now let a peace be concluded.

6.116.44 While Yudhiṣṭhira, his eyes blazing with wrath, has not yet burned up your army, even now, my son, let a peace be made with him.

6.116.45 While Nakula and Sahadeva, and Bhīmasena the son of Pāṇḍu, have not yet destroyed your army utterly, O great king, even now, my son, let brotherhood with the Pāṇḍavas find favor with you.

6.116.46 Let this war end with me, my son; be reconciled with the Pāṇḍavas. May the words I have spoken to you find favor with you, O blameless one. This I judge to be for the welfare of yourself and of your lineage.

6.116.47 Cast off your wrath and make peace with the Pārthas; enough is the slaughter that Phalguna has wrought. With the passing of Bhīṣma let there be friendship between you; reunion is good, O king — be gracious.

6.116.48 Let half the kingdom be given to the Pāṇḍavas; let the King of Righteousness rule from Indraprastha. Do not become a betrayer of friends, the basest of kings, lest you win an evil fame, O lord of the Kauravas.

6.116.49 With my end let there be peace for the peoples; let the kings come together in gladness. Let father go to son, and nephew to uncle, and brother to brother, O king.

6.116.50 But if, sunk in delusion and folly, you do not heed these timely words of mine, then with the end of Bhīṣma all of you shall meet your end — this true word do I declare, O Bhārata.

6.116.51 Having out of affection made the Bhārata hear these words in the midst of the kings, the son of the river fell silent, his vitals seared by the darts, mastering himself and holding back his pain.

6.117.1 Saṃjaya said: Then, when Bhīṣma the delight of Śaṃtanu had fallen silent, O great king, all those kings went back again to their own dwellings.

6.117.2 But when Rādheya, the bull among men, heard that Bhīṣma had been struck down, seized with a touch of fear he came swiftly to him.

6.117.3 He beheld the great-souled one lying then upon his bed of arrows, like the god Kārttikeya, the lord, lying upon the couch of his birth.

6.117.4 That hero lay with his eyes closed; and the Bull, his throat choked with tears, of great splendor, drew near and fell down at his feet.

6.117.5 "I am Rādheya, O best of the Kurus, ever before your eyes, hated by you utterly though I had done no wrong" — thus he spoke to him.

6.117.6 Hearing this, the aged Kuru, forcing open his closed eyes, gazed up slowly and with affection spoke these words.

6.117.7 Seeing the place was secluded, and having sent away the guards, the son of Gaṅgā embraced him with one arm, as a father embraces a son.

6.117.8 "Come, come to me, you who set yourself against me, contending with me. Had you not come to me, surely it would not have been well for you.

6.117.9 You are the son of Kuntī, not the son of Rādhā — this I know from Nārada, and from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, and from Keśava too; of this there is no doubt.

6.117.10 I bear you no hatred, my son — I speak the truth to you; it was only to curb your fierce energy that I uttered harsh words.

6.117.11 You hate the Pāṇḍavas without cause — such was my thought; and for that reason I goaded you again and again with rough speech, O son of the Sun.

6.117.12 I know your prowess in battle, hard for foes to bear, and your reverence for the brahmins, your heroism, and your supreme excellence in giving.

6.117.13 There is none among men your equal, O peer of the immortals; yet, fearing a division of the family, I always spoke to you harshly.

6.117.14 In archery and missile-craft, in bearing strain, in swiftness, and in the might of your weapons, you are the equal of Phalguna and of the great-souled Kṛṣṇa.

6.117.15 O Karṇa, going to the royal city, you alone, bearing your bow, crushed kings in battle for the sake of that king of the Kurus.

6.117.16 And likewise the mighty king Jarāsaṃdha, hard to assail and proud of his warring, proved no match for you in combat.

6.117.17 Devoted to the brahmins and truthful in speech, in splendor like a second sun, sprung from a god, unconquered in battle — on earth you surpass all men.

6.117.18 Gone now is the wrath I once nursed against you. Fate cannot be overcome by human effort.

6.117.19 The heroic Pāṇḍavas are your own brothers, born of the same womb, O slayer of foes. Join with them, mighty-armed one, if you would do what pleases me.

6.117.20 Let this enmity be ended with me, O son of the Sun; let all the kings on earth this day be free of affliction."

6.117.21 Karṇa said: I know all this, O greatly wise one; there is no doubt of it. As you say, O unassailable one, I am the son of Kuntī and not born of a charioteer.

6.117.22 Yet I was cast off by Kuntī and raised by a charioteer; and having enjoyed Duryodhana's bounty, I cannot now prove false to it.

6.117.23 My wealth, my body, and my noble fame — all of it I have surrendered for Duryodhana's sake, O giver of abundant gifts; and, taking my stand with Suyodhana, I have ever provoked the Pāṇḍavas.

6.117.24 That which is destined to be cannot be turned aside; who could venture to reverse fate by human effort?

6.117.25 The omens foretelling the destruction of the earth, O grandsire, have been perceived by you and declared in the assembly.

6.117.26 The Pāṇḍavas and Vāsudeva are known to me in every way as unconquerable by other men; yet even against them we will dare to strive.

6.117.27 Give me your leave, my father, in this war, ever with a glad heart; with your leave, O hero, it is my resolve to fight.

6.117.28 Whatever harsh or perverse word I spoke amiss, out of anger or recklessness, whatever offense I have done — you ought to forgive it.

6.117.29 Bhīṣma said: If this most dreadful enmity cannot be cast off, then I give you leave, O Karṇa — fight, in your longing for heaven.

6.117.30 Free of wrath, free of agitation, do the king's work, according to your strength and your zeal, abiding by the conduct of the good.

6.117.31 I give you my leave; attain what you desire. You shall surely win the worlds conquered by the duty of the warrior — of this there is no doubt.

6.117.32 Fight without pride, relying on your strength and prowess; for there is no higher duty known for a warrior than righteous battle.

6.117.33 Long and again long have I striven for peace, yet I have not been able to make it; for where there is righteousness, there is victory.

6.117.34 Saṃjaya said: When the son of Gaṅgā had thus spoken, Rādheya saluted him and won his grace, then mounted his chariot and set out toward your son.